Brazil urging Venezuela to avoid force or threats against Guyana, says Lula aide

FILE PHOTO: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro waves a Venezuelan flag, as he participates in the closing event for the campaign, ahead of the referendum over a potentially oil-rich territory, part of its long-running dispute with its neighbour Guyana, in Caracas, Venezuela, December 1, 2023. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo

BRASILIA (Reuters) -Brazil rejects any use of force by Venezuela to occupy the Esequibo territory in Guyana and will urge the Caracas government not to threaten its neighbor, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's top foreign policy advisor said on Wednesday.

Celso Amorim, who traveled to Venezuela as Lula's special envoy last month, told Reuters that Brazil opposes "the use of force or threat thereof."