Brasília – Today (26th), the Libyan ambassador to Brazil, Salem Ezubedi, announced his “support and loyalty” to the National Transitional Council (NTC), controlled by the opposition. Up until the beginning of this week, the diplomat pledged his loyalty to Muamar Kadafi’s government.
During a press conference, Ezubedi said that he was chosen by the Libyan people to represent his country. According to him, the majority of the population supports the opposition. The diplomat also added that he is at the NTC’s disposal and will remain at his post until another person is appointed to head the embassy in Brazil.
Since last week, the Libyan opposition flag is raised at the building in Brasília. The flag was replaced during a conflict between opposition sympathizers and Kadafi allies. The Military Police’s surveillance and security scheme was reinforced in the area near the embassy to prevent confrontations from taking place.
Last Tuesday (23rd), a group of Libyans who live in Brazil gave up occupying the embassy in Brasília and kept Sadik Jamel there as their sole representative instead. The Brazil-based Libyans demanded support from the Brazilian government to the opposition at a time of political transition in the North African country.
The Brazilian minister of Foreign Relations, Antonio Patriota, said today that the country’s government is waiting for the United Nations (UN) to make a statement before it defines its position regarding the Libyan political transition process. He, however, stated that there is no intention of one-sidedly lifting the sanctions imposed on the country.
Confrontations have been taking place in Libya for six months – in the last few days, they have intensified, since the opposition took hold of strategic locations in the country and Kadafi left the compound and residential complex where he was staying with his family. The leader remains missing.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
