The president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, raised the tone before the Government of Nicolás Maduro by issuing a strong condemnation for the exclusion of the main opposition candidate in the presidential elections in Venezuela. At the close of Macron's visit to Brazil, the leaders focused on issues on the international agenda, such as the wars in Ukraine and Gaza and the electoral process in Venezuela.
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The presidents of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and France, Emmanuel Macron, sent a strong message this Thursday to the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, whom they urged to hold democratic elections “with the participation of everyone.”
The obstacles in the Venezuelan electoral process were discussed by Lula and Macron in Brasilia, the last stop on the tour that the French leader made through the country since last Tuesday, which also took him to the Amazonian city of Belém, Rio de Janeiro and São Paul.
This last day was focused on issues on the international agenda, among which were the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, the stagnation of the negotiation between the European Union (EU) and Mercosur and the electoral process in Venezuela.
In a press conference, Lula and Macron commented on this last issue and agreed on their concern about the impediments that sectors of the Venezuelan opposition have denounced in the process.
“Serious” was the word that both used to describe the rejection of the registration of Corina Yoris' candidacy, chosen to replace María Corina Machado, vetoed by the electoral authorities due to a controversial disqualification.
Lula, who had been closest to Nicolás Maduro, said that the refusal to register Yoris “has no political or legal explanation” and that the elections must be held “with the participation of everyone,” so that “normality” is restored in Venezuela. “.
Macron went a step further and warned that, in this context, the elections in Venezuela cannot be considered “democratic.”
Lula and Macron join criticism of the United States
Macron and Lula's statement comes as international criticism against the Venezuelan electoral process continues. This Thursday, precisely, the National Electoral Council (CNE) of Venezuela accused the United States Government of seeking to discredit the Venezuelan voting system, after the Joe Biden Administration requested the participation of all anti-Chavista candidates who wish to do so in the elections. presidential elections on July 28.
“The Electoral Branch of Venezuela categorically rejects the insolent and false questions of the United States Department of State about the CNE, with the aim of discrediting one of the most solid institutions of the robust Venezuelan democracy,” the entity said. electoral in a statement published in X.
OFFICIAL COMMUNICATE 🇻🇪 categorically rejecting the insolent and false questions of the US State Department regarding the CNE, with the aim of discrediting one of the most solid institutions of the robust Venezuelan democracy. pic.twitter.com/pLB4O1IElt
— cneesvenezuela (@cneesvzla) March 28, 2024
The CNE maintained that Venezuelans will be able to choose from a total of 13 registered candidates, nominated by 37 political organizations, which – in its opinion – is a “fabulous demonstration of the political and ideological diversity of the political offer in our country.”
“The nomination of the candidates has ended successfully, carried out at the will of each of the registered organizations with political purposes,” he added.
Ukraine and Gaza: in favor of peace, with different perceptions
Lula and Macron said they were clearly in favor of peace and agreed in their condemnation of wars, although they justified their different positions regarding the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.
Macron said that France acts regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine “in coherence” with its partners in the European Union (EU), which since the very beginning of the conflict have imposed various sanctions on the Russian Government.
He also justified the supply of war material to Ukraine, either because of the EU's own decisions, or because, as he said, “France is a power of peace,” but “it is not weak.”
Lula, who has condemned the Russian invasion, but insists that a dialogue between Russians and Ukrainians, which the Western powers do not accept, must be promoted, clarified that Brazil “does not choose sides” in any conflict, because its position is “against all wars.”
He also reaffirmed his criticism of what he considered “becomes routine”, such as “the countries of the Security Council (of the UN, of which France is a member) make unilateral decisions” that sometimes go against international law.
According to the Brazilian leader, Ukraine and Russia “one day will have to understand each other and recognize that so much destruction was not necessary.”
With EFE
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