In a tepid message, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed his commitment to peace on Friday in the face of regional tensions generated by the recent deployment of U.S. warships off the coast of Venezuela.

In this regard, he stated that the South American nation „will be on the side it has always been, on the side of peace,“ emphasizing that war only brings death and poverty.

„If there‘s a disagreement between two nations, there‘s nothing better or cheaper than sitting down at a negotiating table and talking,“ he added, reaffirming that Brazil neither has nor wants any international conflict.