BRASILIA: Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said that they would welcome Syrian refugees with open arms.
While addressing to Independence Day ceremony, she said that their government willingness to welcome those who, driven from their homeland, want to come live, work and contribute to the prosperity and peace of Brazil.
“Especially in these difficult times, these times of crisis, we have to welcome refugees with open arms,” she added.
Brazil has taken in more than 2,000 Syrian refugees since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011, more than any other country in Latin America.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro ordered his foreign ministry to take steps to receive 20,000 Syrians in the country. Chile´s President Michelle Bachelet, meanwhile, said her country also would be willing to accept refugees, without specifying a number or nationality.
