Brazilian communist President Lula da Silva is proposing new elections in Venezuela to determine whether dictator Nicolás Maduro should remain in power. This idea was floated by Lula’s advisor, Celso Amorim, who is known for his pro-Hamas stance.
Yesterday, Lula suggested that Maduro explore options to secure his hold on power. The Brazilian president stated:
“Maduro still has six months left in his term. If he has any sense, he could call on the people of Venezuela, perhaps even call for new elections, establish criteria for the participation of all candidates, create a non-partisan electoral committee that includes everyone, and allow international observers from all over the world to monitor the elections.”
Lula’s proposal was swiftly rejected by the Venezuelan opposition. María Corina Machado, the opposition leader in Venezuela, dismissed the idea, saying:
“If we go to a second election and Maduro doesn’t like the result, what do we do? Go to a third, then a fourth or fifth? This is unworkable. The fact is, we entered an election and won.”
In addition to being rejected by the opposition, it’s important to note that Venezuela’s Constitution does not permit new elections, as the head of government is decided in a single contest.
Controlled by the Chavista dictatorship, the National Electoral Council declared Maduro the winner, providing only total figures and withholding the electoral records.
The opposition claims to possess 80% of the tally sheets and insists they won with 67% of the vote. International bodies like the UN, the OAS, and the Carter Center have denounced the lack of transparency in the elections and have unsuccessfully urged the Venezuelan government to release the tally sheets.