On Friday, Brazilian President Lula da Silva suggested that the United States should work together with Latin American countries to combat drug trafficking instead of attempting to invade them through military operations supposedly justified as anti-drug actions.
“Before judging anyone, before punishing anyone, you have to have proof. You can’t simply say you’re going to invade or that you’re going to fight drug trafficking in another country’s territory without taking into account that country’s constitution, the self-determination of its people, and the territorial sovereignty of each nation,” Lula said from Jakarta, the first stop on his tour of Southeast Asia.
Previously, under the argument of fighting drug trafficking, U.S. President Donald Trump escalated his offensive against cartels he considers terrorists, declaring a “direct armed conflict” to justify U.S. military operations in international waters.
“If President Trump wants to talk about this issue with me, I would be immensely pleased to discuss it with him. Immensely pleased. This and other issues,” Lula said, noting he does not rule out meeting with Trump when both leaders are in Kuala Lumpur this weekend.
“It’s much better for the United States to be willing to engage in dialogue with our countries’ police forces and judicial authorities so we can do something together,” added the Brazilian leader, who is taking part in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders’ summit in Kuala Lumpur.
Lula’s remarks on the fight against drug trafficking came as the U.S. military claimed to have sunk nine vessels allegedly transporting narcotics in the Caribbean and the Pacific.
Tensions began rising in August after U.S. Navy ships were deployed in the Caribbean near Venezuelan waters. This week, Trump expanded his “War on Drugs” to the Pacific Ocean, near Colombia’s coast.
The move came shortly after Colombian President Gustavo Petro sharply criticized Washington for its alleged intention to attack Venezuela under the pretext of combating drug trafficking.
