After 8 years, Maduro arrives in Brazil to participate in the South America Summit.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro returns to visit Brazil this week to participate in the South America Countries Summit. His last visit to the country was in 2015, during the government of former President Dilma Rousseff. His presence in Brasília with state honors was criticized by some Brazilian senators.

The Venezuelan president will meet with 11 South American presidents, and his objective is to improve his and his country’s image among the countries of the continent and with its neighbors. The summit will be attended by heads of state from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Suriname, Uruguay, and Brazil.

During the press conference, the President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and the Venezuelan President criticized the sanctions imposed by the United States and its European allies, which restrict Venezuelan access to the dollar, making it impossible for them to pay for imports and receive payment for exports of goods and commodities. Both countries are considering working with their local currencies or even using the Chinese yuan instead of the US dollar for their trade exchanges.

Check out the full press conference.