President Nicolás Maduro and his entourage experienced a shameful snub during their participation in the BRICS summit in Russia. Despite having made an extensive journey to attend the event, Maduro was excluded from the meetings, was not recognized in the official speeches, and was received with indifference and rejection by other leaders.
Maduro arrived in Russia with an important escort and three presidential planes, but was not greeted by any prominent authority and was unable to participate in the BRICS meetings. He was even prevented from posing for the official event photo, being treated like a pariah and an inferior leader. He was considered a "stain" by BRICS authorities, due to the severe economic, political, and social crisis facing Venezuela under his regime.
Hyperinflation, currency devaluation, corruption, and production issues in Venezuela were seen as a danger and a bad company by the other BRICS members, who seek economic cooperation and stability. Venezuela's stance in international politics and its tensions with various countries were other reasons for its exclusion.
The lack of consensus in foreign policy and non-alignment with BRICS's strategic interests also worked against Maduro. Despite Venezuela's abundant natural resources, poor management of these resources, internal ungovernability, and human rights violations made it an undesirable partner.
BRICS, focused on economic development and trade, is in a process of evaluation to expand its membership, considering the political stability and alignment of each country with its interests. Venezuela's political instability and challenges to its international recognition led BRICS countries to reconsider the acceptance of Venezuela into the group.
Thus, Maduro and his entourage were snubbed in Russia by being excluded from the BRICS summit, showing that their attempts to actively participate in international politics were unsuccessful.
