COHA Opinion: Brazilian Election: What Does South American Giant Want in Post-Lula Era?
In a scene from my first book, Hugo Chávez: Oil, Politics and the Challenge to the U.S. (Palgrave-Macmillan, 2006), I
discuss how Brazil became an ally of Venezuela during a key moment of heightened political tensions. It was December,
2002 and Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez was facing down an economically damaging lock-out of the oil sector launched
by the right wing political opposition. The lock-out capped a tumultuous political year for Chávez: just eight months
earlier, he had scarcely managed to face down a coup d’etat launched by pro-U.S. elements within the country’s military
and business elite.
As a result of the lock-out, Venezuela was obliged to import gasoline for domestic use. Chávez, who at the time was
locked in a bitter political struggle with the Bush White in Washington, desperately needed allies. Fortunately, just
across the border Venezuela found an important diplomatic supporter in Brazil. In a clear sign that the South American
giant was in no mood to cooperate with U.S. efforts designed to isolate Venezuela, Brazil shipped half a million barrels
of oil to the Chávez government.
This analysis was prepared by Former Senior Research Fellow Nikolas Kozloff
ENDS