Trade with Venezuela should focus on industrial products, says ambassador

With Brazil returning to have a diplomatic representation in Venezuela, there is an expectation of the resumption of trade between the two countries. For Ambassador Flávio Macieira, from Itamaraty, this relationship should focus more on industrial products, which have a higher added value, than on raw materials. “What I see most immediately is a very intense trade relationship. What happened in that previous period is that Brazil is a great supplier, not only of raw materials, not only of agricultural products, but of what is interesting in this trade and what will be again, is that there was a very high percentage of industrial products, which is an export with high added value. It is a trade that is of great interest, which creates a lot of expectations within Brazil,” said Macieira. Brazil and Venezuela share a border of 2,200 kilometers. The trade flow between the two countries peaked in 2012, when trade reached nearly US$6 billion. Since then, there has been a drop of more than 85% in trade flow, mainly due to the political and economic crisis faced by the neighboring country. The Brazilian embassy in the neighboring country was reopened on January 18 and a diplomatic mission operates there. The expectation is to revitalize regional integration with Venezuela, which has a border of more than 2 thousand kilometers with Brazil. Little by little, the Brazilian embassy in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, is resuming activities. According to Ambassador Flávio Macieira, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for the time being, the Brazilian diplomatic mission is committed to providing the place with working conditions. “I am fulfilling this mission in two stages. The first stage is a formal opening of the embassy, ​​and the embassy is already open, but it is clear that we are undertaking a rebuilding there. It is necessary to reevaluate and put services in motion. The equipment is packed and is being unpacked, so my presence in Caracas is mainly an administrative one,” said the ambassador. The Brazilian embassy in Caracas was closed in March 2020. Relations between Brazil and Venezuela resumed on January 2, shortly after President Lula took office. Between 20 and 25 thousand Brazilians live in the neighboring country and can benefit from the measure.

Agência Brasil