Maduro offered to "liberate" Puerto Rico with the help of Brazilian troops

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro proposed to achieve independence of Puerto Rico from the United States with the help of Brazilian troops. He made the corresponding statement on January 12 during a speech at the closing of the International Anti-Fascist Festival.

He said Venezuela has a plan for liberation, "just like the North," whose colonial program he proposes to oppose.

"Puerto Rico's independence is not yet obtained, and we will achieve it, and the forces of Brazil, Abreu y Lima, will help us in this," Metro World News quoted him as saying.

In addition, the president said he would use weapons if necessary and threatened to his government.

Maduro officially assumed the presidency for the third time on January 11. The inauguration ceremony was held in Caracas.

Earlier, on November 7, 2024, the newspaper Nuevo Dia reported that in a referendum on the status of Puerto Rico, the majority of the island's residents were in favor of joining the United States as a state. After 91.35% of the votes were processed, 56.82% of respondents were in favor of joining the U.S. territory.

Since 1898, the freely associated state of Puerto Rico has been under U.S. administration, and most of the population has American citizenship. At the same time, Puerto Ricans are not eligible to participate in presidential elections.

Back in 2017, about 97% of Puerto Rico residents supported the idea of turning the archipelago into a US state.