By Marisela Luzardo | 2024-10-25

CARACAS -- The news came as a surprise to ordinary Venezuelans.

Only via live coverage on public television did they learn that dictator Nicolás Maduro had arrived in Russia on a Conviasa flight on the morning of October 22.

Maduro never hinted at leaving the country in any of his speeches or statements all summer or fall, despite the tensions stemming from his disputed claims of winning reelection in July.

Maduro spent October 22-24 in Kazan, Russia, during the 16th BRICS+ Summit.

Named for early members Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, BRICS now includes five more countries: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Maduro's desire for validation by BRICS has verged on desperate.

To further this goal, he sent Delcy Rodríguez, his 2024 running mate, ahead to lay the diplomatic groundwork, aiming to convince member countries that Maduro is a reliable partner and that Venezuela's economy has gained strength.

However, Maduro and Rodríguez's efforts in Kazan proved fruitless.

No support for BRICS membership

Accusations since July that Maduro stole the election, followed by his persecution and imprisonment of numerous protesters and political opponents, have dogged him ever since.

The strongest opposition came from neighboring Brazil. A disgusted President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced that he had instructed his delegates to keep Venezuela from joining BRICS, G1, Globo's news site, reported October 21.

Venezuela's electoral institutions must prove that Maduro won the election in July, insists Brasília.

"I do not support Venezuela's entry," Celso Amorim, advisor to Lula, told CNN October 21, adding he saw no benefit in letting that country joining BRICS.

Rodríguez and Foreign Minister Yván Gil's inability to persuade BRICS to admit Venezuela caused Maduro to travel to Russia himself.

The Venezuelans succeeded only in posing for some photos with BRICS country leaders and in gaining Venezuela's addition to BRICS TV, the alliance's television channel.

Lula's spiking of Venezuela's membership hopes caused outrage from Caracas.

On the evening of October 24, Venezuela's Foreign Ministry condemned Brazil's decision to "veto" its entry into BRICS, labeling it a "hostile gesture." Caracas described the move as "inexplicable and immoral aggression" by Brazil.

Maduro, ignoring his team's failures, characterized his visit as "historic."

"Our presence marks a significant advancement for global geopolitics," he said upon his unannounced arrival in Kazan on October 22.

Maduro journeyed to Russia to "create a narrative that fosters international recognition," Daniel Arias, a political scientist and columnist for the Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional, told the Colombian newspaper El Tiempo on October 23.

Maduro "aims to foster the perception that Venezuela is already part of BRICS, despite the clear indication that no new countries will be admitted," Arias added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed support for Venezuelan membership in BRICS, but existing members must unanimously approve new ones.

'Illegitimacy has consequences!'

Maduro added to his photo collection by posing with the leaders of Russia, Türkiye, Belarus, China and the Palestinian Authority.

Critics of Maduro skewered him for coming back empty-handed.

Former Venezuelan prosecutor Zair Mundaray criticized Maduro for having the luxury of traveling abroad while prisons hold an unprecedented number of political prisoners, both before and during the electoral process.

"Where is the flag of Venezuela? What was Maduro's purpose in going to Russia then? Illegitimacy has consequences!" he posted on X, accompanied by a photo of the flags of all 10 BRICS member states.

Exiled Venezuelan journalist Ibéyise Pacheco pointed to BRICS' refusal to admit Venezuela: "Don't get dressed; you're not going. Maduro didn't even make it into the [BRICS group] photo."

Internet users flooded social media with comments that can be summarized in a single sentiment: Maduro left Kazan feeling he had "failed."