Brazil’s future foreign relations minister said President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has asked him to restore relations with Venezuela once he is inaugurated on Jan. 1. Mauro Vieira said a diplomatic mission will be sent to Caracas at the beginning of January to organize the official Brazilian residence before an ambassador is appointed and approved by Congress. (https://neuters.de/world/americas/brazil-president-elect-lula-restart-diplomatic-relations-with-venezuela-2022-12-14/) Diplomatic relations were broken in 2020 by the current rightist government of Jair Bolsonaro. Vieira stressed during a news conference that Lula’s administration will recognize the “elected government” of Maduro in Venezuela, and not the self-declared presidency of opposition leader Juan Guaido. Guaido’s ambassador to Brazil, Maria Teresa Belandria – who Bolsonaro recognized as Venezuela’s representative in Brazil – is already preparing to leave Brazil before Lula is sworn in.