The Brazilian Ministry of Health has sent a team from the National Force of the country’s public healthcare network, the SUS, to Roraima, a state bordering Venezuela. The objective is to assess health infrastructure, personnel, vaccines, and other supplies.

In a statement, the ministry said it is structuring a contingency plan for the SUS’s response to a “possible worsening of the international crisis and an increase in migrant demand in the border region” following an attack by the US government.

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• Border state Roraima monitors impacts of US attack on Venezuela.
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“To date, the migratory flow in the region remains unchanged,” the ministry highlighted in the declaration.

The statement noted that the teams sent to Roraima have extensive experience in disaster situations and are identifying hospital infrastructure and assessing the possibility of expansion.

If necessary, the government informed that it will set up field hospitals and expand existing structures to reduce the impact on the Brazilian public health system.

The Ministry of Health also stated that it is making itself available to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to provide humanitarian aid, including the supply of medicines and dialysis materials, after the main distribution center in the city of La Guaira, Venezuela, was destroyed in an attack.

“The Ministry of Health reaffirms the role of the SUS as an international reference in guaranteeing comprehensive medical assistance to all people on national soil. For immigrants in border cities, this right is ensured regardless of migratory status or nationality,” the statement concluded.

The border between Brazil and Venezuela, in the state of Roraima, remains calm, monitored, and open, Brazilian Defense Minister José Múcio said on Saturday (Jan. 3). The government also reported that there are no indications of Brazilians injured in the United States bombings against Venezuela.

“The border is absolutely calm. We have had a contingent of personnel and equipment there for some time now. We are monitoring developments and awaiting the interview with the president of the United States, as well as other events expected later in the day,” Múcio noted.

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• Lula condemns attacks on Venezuela, Brazilian diplomats discuss crisis.
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The Defense Minister stated that Brazil has 10,000 military personnel in the Amazon region, including 2,300 in Roraima. Múcio added that there is a great deal of conflicting information and that the government is monitoring developments.

The statement followed an emergency meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Brasília, attended by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva via videoconference. A second emergency meeting was scheduled for 5 p.m., also at the ministry.

The first meeting was also attended by interim Foreign Affairs Minister Maria Laura da Rocha and interim Presidential Chief of Staff Miriam Belchior, as well as the minister-chief of the Secretariat of Social Communication, Sidônio Palmeira, and representatives from the Secretariat of Institutional Relations and the Ministry of Justice and Public Security.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that President Lula reaffirmed the position previously released condemning the US attack on Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, by US military forces.

Interim Minister Rocha stated that Brazil still has no information on the whereabouts of President Maduro and confirmed that there are no reports of Brazilians injured.

“The Brazilian community is calm, with no incidents reported so far. Tourists are able to leave normally, and there is total normality regarding the Brazilian community,” the interim minister noted.

Background

The US invasion of Venezuela marks a new episode of direct intervention by Washington in Latin America. The last time the US invaded a Latin American country was in 1989, in Panama, when US military forces captured then-President Manuel Noriega, accusing him of drug trafficking.

Just as in the case of Noriega, the US has accused Maduro - without presenting evidence - of leading an alleged Venezuelan drug cartel known as Los Soles. Experts on international drug trafficking question the very existence of the group.

The US government had offered a reward of USD 50 million for information leading to Maduro’s arrest.

For critics, the move is a geopolitical strategy aimed at distancing Venezuela from US global rivals such as China and Russia, while also seeking greater control over the country’s oil reserves, the largest proven reserves in the world.