Brazilian President Lula da Silva announced that he will receive Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos in Brazil’s capital city Brasilia on September 1.
Lula said he hoped that the visit – which will be Santos’ first since he was sworn in as president Saturday – will contribute “to build, definitively, peace and tranquility in our beloved South America.”
Lula, who met Friday with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in Caracas, has numerous times reiterated his disposition to mediate the diplomatic crisis between Colombia and Venezuela.
The Brazilian president also dined with former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe in Bogota on Friday before attending Santos’ inauguration Saturday.
Venezuela brokes ties with Colombia after Uribe’s outgoing administration presented allegations of a large guerrilla presence in Venezuela to the Organization of American States. Chavez, who had previously stated he would not consider repairing relations while Uribe remained in office, extended the olive branch to Santos Saturday.
The socialist leader will travel to Bogota to meet with Santos Tuesday.
