Brasília

Mentioned by Bolsonaro as his new Minister of Defense, Army Reserve General Augusto Heleno Ribeiro Pereira, 71, vehemently rejected any possibility of Brazil taking part in military action against Venezuela president Nicolás Maduro.

Folha reported on Monday (29th) that a high-ranking official from the Colombian government said that if Bolsonaro "wants to topple Maduro with a military intervention, he will have Colombia's support." Augusto Heleno said that such hypothesis "is contrarian to Brazil's foreign relations tenets," that preaches for not interfering with other countries domestic affairs.

Augusto Heleno Pereira, a retired General of the Brazilian Army, leaves the hotel where retired generals meet to support the then-presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro - REUTERS

Today, officials from the Colombian government suggested that "if president-elect Bolsonaro wants to help to topple Maduro with a military intervention, he will have Colombia's support." What do you say about this statement?

It goes against the tenets of our foreign policy. Our fundamental rule is noninterference - I think it is stated in our Constitution - the noninterference in other countries' domestic affairs. It is also speculation.

Don't you agree with the hypothesis?

It's not a matter of agreeing. It's written that we don't interfere in other countries' domestic affairs. It's not about agreeing, this is a democratic country and the principle is in our Constitutions. It's a position Brazil holds with other countries in the world, of not interfering in other countries' domestic affairs.

Translated by NATASHA MADOV



Read the article in the original language

​​