In a letter sent on Monday (5), 30 former heads of state or government asked President Lula to “enforce” democracy in Venezuela, asking him to recognize what they classify as the electoral victory of Edmundo González, representative of the opposition coalition.
The Venezuelan National Electoral Council claims that Nicolás Maduro was the winner, but the result is questioned by dozens of countries and the opposition.
“We urge Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, president of the federative republic of Brazil, to reaffirm his indisputable commitment to democracy and the freedom enjoyed by his people and to enforce it in Venezuela,” the document states.
The former heads of state or government are part of the Democratic Idea group, which brings together former political leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean. The group had already made a similar request to Colombian President Gustavo Petro at the end of last week.
“The evident hijacking of popular sovereignty that Nicolás Maduro Moros has carried out, in collusion with the powers of the State that are at his service and under his control, based on the violation of electoral truth to perpetuate himself in the exercise of power and assert himself through a repressive state policy and through the widespread and systematic violation of the human rights of Venezuelans,” the leaders write.
“Admitting such a precedent would mortally wound the efforts that continue to be made with so much sacrifice in the Americas to sustain the triad of democracy, the rule of law and human rights,” they conclude.
So far, President Lula has not recognized Nicolás Maduro’s victory in the presidential elections, but he has also not classified the election as a fraud. This stance is part of a strategy by the Brazilian Foreign Ministry to maintain Brazil as a mediator in the crisis. Officially, the Brazilian government says it is waiting for the detailed release of the voting records before making a statement about the dispute.
Source: CNN Brasil
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