Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Brazilian leader Luis Inacio Lula de Silva assailed U.S. sanctions against Venezuela,

Maduro said he hopes a regional South American summit in Brasilia will call for their removal.

Lula called the U.S. sanctions extremely exaggerated and criticized the united states for denying the legitimacy of fellow leftist Maduro, who is considered by Washington an authoritarian leader who has not allowed free elections.

The Venezuelan president also said his country wants to be part of the Brics group of leading emerging nations, which Lula said he would personally favor.

Maduro was on his first visit to Brazil since 2015 taking advantage of warmer relations before 11 South American Presidents meet in Brasilia.