The Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, stated this Friday that he does not recognize Nicolás Maduro's victory in Venezuela and expressed his skepticism about the legitimacy of the electoral results in that country.
"I do not accept Maduro's victory nor that of the opposition. The opposition says they won, they claim they won, but they have no evidence. That’s why we demand evidence," he said in an interview with the radio station in João Pessoa, Paraíba, where he again addressed the electoral situation in the oil-rich nation.
The elections in the South American country have been marked by accusations of fraud and repression by Nicolás Maduro's regime against its opponents.
Brazil has tried to act as a mediator in the crisis along with Colombia, but they have ultimately taken a cautious stance by not recognizing the results.
The Brazilian considers, ultimately, that there is not enough evidence to validate Maduro's victory nor to confirm the accusations of fraud by the opposition, he said in the interview.
For Lula, the solution to the political standoff in Venezuela lies in calling for new elections, a stance that has also been criticized by the opposition and several countries that do recognize the evidence presented by the candidate Edmundo González, who, according to the collected voting records, would have won by more than 30 percentage points over Maduro.
The Chavista regime has already declared Maduro's reelection, ignoring international calls, including those from Brazil, for a negotiated solution to the crisis.
In the interview, Lula, an ally of chavismo during his previous term, also made it clear that his priority is Brazil and that his patience with the situation in Venezuela is wearing thin.
"I want to take care of Brazil. Maduro is responsible for that. Let him face the consequences of his gesture. I face the consequences of my gesture," declared the president, indicating his willingness to let the Venezuelan regime confront the consequences of the alleged fraud.
Last week, the presidents of Brazil and Colombia expressed their concern about the lack of transparency in the recent presidential elections in Venezuela and urged the government of that country to publish disaggregated and verifiable data from the elections to restore the credibility of the process.
During two days of telephone conversations, the leaders discussed the situation and concluded that the political normalization of the country can only be achieved through peaceful dialogue and the recognition of democratic diversity.
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