Q24N — “Scared”, this was the adjective that Lula used to describe his reaction to some statements by Maduro, in which he mentioned that, if he loses the elections on July 28, Venezuela could enter a “civil war” tainted by a “bath of blood”. One of the last regional allies of the Chavista president shows his differences and demands respect for democracy.
“I was scared by Maduro’s statement that if he loses the elections there will be a bloodbath; whoever loses the elections takes a bath of votes, not blood. Maduro has to learn, when you win, you stay; when you lose, you leave “said the Brazilian head of state in an appearance with international media on July 22.
Lula, usually more conciliatory in his public opinions regarding Venezuela and its internal politics, revealed that he had already spoken by telephone twice with Maduro, mentioning that, if he wants to contribute to “economic growth in Venezuela, the return of people who left Venezuela and establish a State of economic growth”, the Venezuelan president “has to respect the democratic process.”
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The Brazilian president, who in his first term was one of the strongest allies of Hugo Chávez, joins the international doubts and concerns about the presidential elections in Venezuelan territory in the coming days, confirming that he will send two electoral observers, in addition to the former Brazilian foreign minister and one of his closest advisors, Celso Amorim.
Days ago, Amorim showed its disappointment at the absence of electoral observers from the European Union, after the Venezuelan Electoral Commission announced on May 28 that it was withdrawing the invitation to European observers, setting off alarms in the international community about possible irregularities. elections in the presidential elections in July.
After the disqualification of the opposition favorite, María Corina Machado, and her designee to continue the race, Corina Yoris, the Brazilian Government has not remained silent, with the Rio president describing Yoris’s political disqualification as “serious.”
Lula distances himself from Maduro
Since his third arrival to the presidency in January 2023, Lula has been one of the most active Latin American leaders in the international arena, continuing with the tradition imposed by himself of wanting to reduce the gaps between developed and less developed countries, seeking to position Brazil as a medium power that can achieve conciliation between the different current poles of power.
While his administration was focused on seeking to configure solutions for the most important international conflicts of today, Lula also promoted regional dialogue channels with the Government of Nicolás Maduro, almost isolated from the entire Latin American region before the presidencies of Lula and the Colombian Gustavo Petro, who have been the pillars in the attempt to reintegrate Caracas into international mechanisms and forums.
However, it seems that Lula’s support for Maduro has its limits. In the interview on July 22, the Brazilian president warned that, in Latin America today, many politicians emerge, from the left or the right, who have different interests and national projects, but what they have in common must always be respect. unrestricted democracy.
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Furthermore, Lula, without naming anyone specifically, criticized the authoritarian tendencies in some governments.
“When a leader gets it into his head that he is essential or irreplaceable, that is when the spirit of the dictator begins to be born,” said the Rio president, advocating for the defense of democratic institutions.
“How can we not respect the results if we are going to win?”
The public expressions of one of the Latin American regional pillars about the upcoming Venezuelan elections were received ambiguously by the Government of Caracas. Nicolás Maduro’s campaign manager, Jorge Rodríguez, claimed to be unaware of the Brazilian president’s statements, although he maintained that Chavismo would respect the results of July 28.
“I haven’t read what Lula said, but how can we not respect the results if we are going to win? Maduro is going to celebrate the results with his people,” Rodríguez said in a press conference.
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For its part, the Venezuelan opposition, although positioned on the other side of the ideological spectrum, recognized the words of the Brazilian president through candidate Edmundo González, who thanked Lula for his words “in support of a peaceful and widely respected electoral process in Venezuela.” “, as noted in a publication through his X profile.
A few days after holding the most important elections of the last decade in Venezuela, the Government of Nicolás Maduro has the eyes of the world on it, once again, with its traditional antagonists closely monitoring transparency at the polls, but also with old allies who are beginning to express their concerns about their permanence in power.
From Reuters and local media
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