MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Lula would negotiate with Gustavo Petro to demand transparency in Venezuela's Elections

A Brazilian government official highlighted Lula's frustration with Maduro's failure to uphold promises of transparency

In response to the controversial presidential elections in Venezuela, which declared Nicolás Maduro the winner with 50.20% of the vote without transparency, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is negotiating a joint statement with Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. This statement would demand a transparent recount of the votes to ensure legitimacy and accuracy in the electoral process.

The announcement of Maduro's victory over opposition candidate Edmundo González, who reportedly received 44.20% of the vote, has led to widespread protests in Venezuela and significant international backlash. The election, overseen by the National Electoral Council (CNE) under Elvis Amoroso, has been marred by allegations of irregularities and lack of transparency.

According to sources cited by Bloomberg, President Lula is actively seeking to coordinate a multilateral response with Colombia and Mexico. The proposed joint statement would call on the CNE to release detailed electoral records from each district, aiming to verify the election results comprehensively.

A Brazilian government official, speaking on condition of anonymity as quoted by Bloomberg, highlighted Lula's frustration with Maduro's failure to uphold promises of transparency. This sentiment is shared by Colombia and Mexico, whose foreign ministries have expressed conditional recognition of the election results based on the implementation of measures to ensure a credible electoral process.

Lula's government has already taken a symbolic step by instructing its ambassador in Caracas, Glivânia Maria de Oliveira, to boycott a ceremony scheduled by the CNE to certify Maduro's victory. This move underscores the Brazilian administration's commitment to demanding electoral integrity.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro, typically active on social media, has been notably silent since the election results were announced. His only statement, “Venezuela makes democratic decisions. Whatever their will is, it will be respected by my government,” has been interpreted in various ways, but it reflects a cautious approach as he navigates the complex regional dynamics.

Meanwhile, opposition leaders in Venezuela, including González and María Corina Machado, have presented their own consolidated electoral records, claiming that González actually received 73.20% of the vote. They argue that the official results do not reflect the true will of the Venezuelan people.

The international community is closely watching the developments. Jason Marczak, an expert on Latin American affairs at the Atlantic Council in Washington, emphasized the importance of international pressure to uphold democratic principles. “The international community must continue to exert pressure so that the will of the Venezuelan people finally prevails. Not to do so would mean being complicit,” he stated during a virtual conference on Venezuela.

As Lula da Silva, Gustavo Petro, and Andrés Manuel López Obrador work towards a unified stance, the call for transparency and accountability in Venezuela's elections gains momentum. Their joint statement, if realized, could significantly influence the international response and bolster efforts to ensure that the Venezuelan electoral process is conducted with integrity.