Brasilia, May 30 (RHC)-- During President Nicolas Maduro's visit to Brazil on Monday, President Lula da Silva confirmed that his administration yearns to maintain good relations with Venezuela, a country that has been economically and politically harassed by the United States for over a decade.

During the press conference held after a private meeting, Lula announced that he supports the admission of Venezuela to the BRICS, an international cooperation forum that includes the world's largest emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

Referring to the U.S. harassment against the Bolivarian nation, the Workers' Party leader defended the right of Venezuelans to freely choose their leaders in elections.  “It is incredible and inexplicable that one country (the United States) imposes 900 sanctions on another country (Venezuela) just because they don't like it,” Lula stressed.

The Brazilian president also recalled that he criticized the European and American rulers who recognized the opposition politician Juan Guaido as "president in charge of Venezuela."  Such a recognition was the consequence of a geopolitical "narrative" deliberately built against the South American country and its legitimate government.

"President Maduro returns to Brazil after 8 years.  I have fought with the United States. For me, it was so absurd that people who defend democracy turn their backs on an elected person with his people.  The prejudice against Venezuela is very great."

"Now, it is in your hands that Venezuela make its own narrative and go back to being a sovereign country where only its people, through a free vote, decide who should govern. Then our adversaries will have to apologize for the havoc they have caused done," Lula told Maduro.