French President Emmanuel Macron called Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) on Monday morning (5) to reiterate his request for the government of dictator Nicolás Maduro to release the voting records of the Venezuelan presidential election. Lula is in Santiago, Chile, for a bilateral meeting with President Gabriel Boric, who has already declared himself against Maduro’s reelection.
France is one of the European Union countries that requested the publication of the documents this weekend, in a position similar to the joint request by Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela.
“Macron praised the position of Brazil, Colombia and Mexico issued in a joint statement last Thursday (1/8), and the country’s position of encouraging dialogue between the government and the Venezuelan opposition. President Lula reiterated his commitment to seeking a peaceful solution between the parties that respects the sovereignty of the Venezuelan people,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
In addition to adding to Lula’s speech, Macron also thanked First Lady Janja da Silva for attending the opening of the Paris Olympic Games last week. Janja traveled to France representing the president at the ceremony.
Also this weekend, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado thanked Lula for his “clear position” in demanding the public release of the voting records from the country’s election.
“As a Venezuelan, I am very grateful for the response of some governments, in some way close to Maduro – such as Brazil, Colombia and Mexico – and which have taken very firm positions so that the electoral truth is known. I am grateful for the clear position of the Brazilian government and President Lula, in demanding that the ballots be released, one by one,” Maria Corina told TV Globo.
The Brazilian government has been constantly urged by Lula’s opposition to take a clearer stance on Maduro’s questioned reelection, proclaimed by the National Electoral Council (CNE), the equivalent of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), without presenting the voting records. According to the body, Maduro sold the election with 51.2%, while Urrutia received 44.2%.
Last Thursday (1st), Brazil issued a joint statement with Colombia and Mexico asking Venezuela to release the voting records after “controversies over the electoral process”.
In a diplomatic tone, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs makes a “call on the Venezuelan electoral authorities to move forward expeditiously and publicly disclose the data broken down by polling station.”
“Disputes over the electoral process must be resolved through institutional means. The fundamental principle of popular sovereignty must be respected through the impartial verification of the results,” the three nations pointed out.
The message also calls on “political and social actors” to exercise caution in their public demonstrations, to avoid an escalation of violent episodes.
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