Uruguay and Chile criticize Lula’s speech about creating a “narrative” about dictatorship in Venezuela

The presidents of Uruguay, Luis Alberto Lacalle Pou, and Chile, Gabriel Boric, criticized, this Tuesday (30), the speech by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) about the creation of a “narrative”, referring to dictatorship in Venezuela.

After a bilateral meeting on Monday (29) with President Nicolás Maduro, Lula stated that Venezuela is “the victim of a narrative of anti-democracy and authoritarianism”.

“If I want to win a battle, I need to build a narrative to destroy my potential enemy. You know the narrative that was built against Venezuela, of anti-democracy and authoritarianism,” said Lula.

This Tuesday, after a meeting between eleven South American heads of state, held at the Itamaraty Palace, the leaders of Uruguay and Chile demonstrated their opposition to the position of the Brazilian president.

Without mentioning Lula’s name, Lacalle Pou said he was “surprised” by the speech, and stated that “you know what we think about Venezuela and the government of Venezuela”.

“I was surprised when it was said that what happened in Venezuela was a narrative. You already know what we think about Venezuela and the government of Venezuela. If there are so many groups in the world that are mediating for there to be full democracy in Venezuela, for human rights to be respected and for there to be no political prisoners, the worst thing we can do is block the sun with our finger. Let’s name it and let’s help.

The Chilean leader, Gabriel Boric, said that this is not a narrative, but “a serious reality”.

“It is not a narrative, it is a reality, it is serious, and I had the opportunity to see it up close in the faces and in the pain of hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans who today have come to our homeland, and who also demand a firm and clear position in respect of which human rights must be respected always and everywhere, regardless of the political position of the current ruler. That applies to all of us.”