During an interview on Radio T, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed his refusal to recognize Nicolás Maduro as the winner of Venezuela's recent presidential election. President Lula suggested that Maduro, who still has six months left in his term, could demonstrate good judgment by calling for new elections, establishing an electoral committee, and allowing international observers to monitor the process.
While many countries have accepted the election results, Brazil, along with Colombia and Mexico, has maintained a neutral stance. The three nations have urged Venezuela's electoral body to release thousands of vote tally sheets to verify the outcome.
Under Lula's leadership, Brazil has played a crucial role in mediating Venezuelan political disputes, such as the Barbados Agreement that led to a new election agreement and the easing of U.S. sanctions. Lula's international adviser, Celso Amorim, emphasized the importance of conducting any new election with transparency and credibility.
Venezuelan law allows for a new vote in cases of fraud or disputed results, with the election needing to occur within six to 12 months under similar conditions as the annulled vote. However, organizing a new election poses risks for Maduro and his supporters, given the waning public support and opposition claims of electoral discrepancies.
Despite the official declaration of Maduro's victory, the opposition has presented tally sheets from a majority of voting machines indicating a significant lead for the opposition candidate, Gonzalez. An analysis of the data raises doubts about the legitimacy of Maduro's win, with Gonzalez reportedly receiving more votes in the processed tally sheets.
The situation in Venezuela remains tense as calls for transparency and potential new elections continue to reverberate both domestically and internationally.
