Lula da Silva said he was afraid of Maduro’s statements that there would be “bloodshed” in Venezuela if he did not win the election.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said this Monday that he was afraid when he heard his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolás Maduro declare that there would be “bloodshed” in that country if he lost the presidential election on July 28.
Da Silva offered the statement to foreign press correspondents from the Alvorada Palace, the leader’s official residence in Brasilia, and did not miss the opportunity to distance himself from Maduro’s statements referring to the upcoming elections in the country
He said, “When you lose, you go home and prepare to fight another election.”
Last week, at a campaign rally in western Caracas, Maduro warned that a “fratricidal civil war” and “bloodshed” could occur if he did not win the election, adding “The fate of Venezuela in the 21st century depends on our victory. Let us guarantee the greatest success, the greatest victory in the electoral history of our people,” he said.
“Maduro knows that the only possibility for Venezuela to return to normality is for the electoral process to be respected by all. If Maduro wants to contribute to the return of people who left the country and to establish conditions for economic growth, he must respect the democratic process,” Lula said.
The Brazilian president informed that he would send former Foreign Minister Celso Amorin to Venezuela and that the Brazilian electoral justice system would send observers. Similarly, da Silva said he would also talk to the legislative branch to send a delegation to Venezuela.