Brazil's Lula holds call with Trump, agrees to visit Washington

BRASILIA, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Brazilian ⁠President Luiz ⁠Inacio ‍Lula da Silva held a phone call with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump on Monday and ‍agreed to visit Washington soon, the Brazilian government said ​in a statement.

The two leaders discussed several issues during the 50-minute call, ​including the situation in Venezuela, Trump's proposed Board of Peace and the fight against organized crime.

Regarding Venezuela, the Brazilian president stressed the importance ​of "preserving peace and stability in the region," the statement said.

Lula has criticized the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas ​Maduro, who was deposed earlier this month and taken to New York to face ‌drug-trafficking charges. The Brazilian president had condemned the move as the crossing of "an unacceptable line."

Lula emphasized to ​Trump on Monday the need to ⁠work for the welfare of the Venezuelan people.

BOARD OF PEACE

Lula also suggested that Trump's new ‌proposal for a Board of Peace be limited to the situation in Gaza, as global powers worry the initiative launched last ‌Thursday could assume a wider role and rival the United Nations.

Brazil's president ‌also called for Palestinian representation on the board, according to the statement.

Lula said last week that Trump was attempting to create a "new U.N." and ‍be its sole owner, yet the U.S. president has said the Board of Peace would ⁠work alongside the U.N.

The Brazilian government's statement did not say whether Lula accepted Trump's invitation to join the initiative.

(Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu; Writing by Isabel Teles and Fernando Cardoso; Editing by Gabriel Araujo and Paul Simao)

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