BRASILIA, Brazil — The president of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva He said Monday that his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolás Maduro, should respect the results of the elections scheduled for Sunday, and said he was “scared” by Maduro’s reference to a possible post-election bloodbath.
The veteran leader will send a senior diplomat to neighboring Venezuela to observe the vote.
“Maduro knows that the only possibility for Venezuela to return to normal is to have an electoral process that is respected by everyone,” Lula told reporters at the presidential residence in Brasilia. “He has to respect the democratic process.”
Maduro has ruled Venezuela since 2013, assuming power after the death of his predecessor and mentor Hugo Chávez. The 61-year-old won an election that his opponents considered neither free nor fair. His 2018 re-election was widely considered a sham, as major opposition parties and candidates were banned from running.
Your main adversary will be Edmundo Gonzáleza former diplomat chosen by the opposition coalition to replace the fiery leader Maria Corina Machado on the ballot.
“If Maduro wants to contribute to growth returning to Venezuela, to the people who left Venezuela returning and to establishing a state of economic growth, he needs to respect the democratic process,” Lula said.
Lula, who for many years refused to openly criticize the Venezuelan leader, said he will send former Foreign Minister Celso Amorim to witness Sunday’s elections. Other Brazilian observers will also be present.
“I was scared by Maduro’s statement that if he loses there will be a bloodbath. When you lose, you go home and prepare to run for another election,” Lula said.
In recent weeks, Maduro and his allies have increased their references to post-election violence, claiming that the opposition will carry out violent demonstrations and reject the results, which the ruling party claims will show it victorious.
“The fate of Venezuela depends on our victory,” Maduro said at a rally this month. “If we want to avoid a bloodbath or a fratricidal civil war caused by fascists, then we must guarantee the greatest electoral victory ever experienced.”
Lula also said that he tried to talk to The president of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega. on behalf of Pope Francis over the leftist leader’s decision to expel more than a dozen Roman Catholic clerics from the Central American nation. But Ortega has not answered the phone, said the Brazilian president.
“Nicaragua has become a problem for Nicaragua,” Lula said, adding that he is open to talking to other leaders, including Argentina’s president, Javier Milei.
“But first he needs to apologize,” added the Brazilian leader. Milei has criticized Lula and avoided speaking with him since she took office.
The 78-year-old Brazilian leader, who is governing the South American nation for the third time, also said he deeply respects US President Joe Biden for his decision to resign as a Democratic candidate for this year’s elections. He said he will work with whoever wins.
“Whether it’s a Democratic candidate or (Republican candidate Donald) Trump, our relationship will be a civilized relationship between two important countries,” Lula said.
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AP writer Regina García Cano contributed to this report from Caracas.
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