Brazil condemns “unilateral use of force” in the U.S. attack on Syria

During a Mercosur meeting, Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs Aloysio Nunes Ferreira condemned the American attack on Syria. Nunes said that Brazil condemns the “unilateral use of force” without authorization from the United Nations.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a written statement on Friday afternoon. Without explicitly citing the attack on Syria, the document “manifests preoccupation with the escalation of the military conflict in Syria” and “reiterates Brazil’s consternation with the use of chemical weapons.”

Brazil, however, chose not to take part in a joint statement by Mercosur diplomats. The group criticized the crimes against humanity in Syria. Representatives or Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Mexico, Pery, and Colombia signed a document endorsing “actions to prevent [the use of chemical weapons].”

Latin America’s largest country chose to be more cautious than countries such as Germany, the UK, and France, which supported Trump’s decision.

U.S. attack on Syria

U.S. President Donald Trump has authorized missile attack on a Syrian airfield in response to the use of chemical weapons by Bashar al-Assad’s regime this week. A Tuesday chemical attack killed 80 people.

It was the first time the U.S. has become a direct combatant in Syria.

The move drew criticism from Russia. In fact, Vladimir Putin’s country described the launching of 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles as an “aggression against a sovereign state in violation of international law.” Syria’s dictator Bashar al-Assad also called the attack “irresponsible.”

Although Trump didn’t have authorization from Congress to attack, politicians from both sides of the aisle supported the decision.