War of words between Brazil, Venezuela

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It’s getting nasty between Brazil and Venezuela.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez declared that the Brazilian senate was a ``parrot that repeats everything Washington says.’’ That followed senators’ decision this week to censure Caracas’ controversial decision not to renew the broadcast license of Radio Caracas Television, a leading Chávez critic.

Brazilian lawmakers called on Chavez to reconsider his verdict, which has sparked heated protests in Caracas. But the Venezuelan president ruled out any change of mind, declaring it was ``much more likely that the Portuguese empire returns and installs itself in Brasilia.’’

Brazil summoned the Venezuelan ambassador to explain Chávez’s disparaging characterization of Brazilian senators. But President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has thus far remained above the fray.

Chávez and Lula are allies, despite Lula’s close ties to Washington. Brazil and Venezuela have many commercial ties and both are members of the South American trade pact known as Mercosur. Lula, whose roots are in the leftist labor movement, has played the role of regional conciliator and thus resisted pressure to criticize Chávez directly.

Posted by Patrick J. McDonnell and Andrés D’Alessandro in Buenos Aires.