02/08/2024 – 15:38
The president of the Workers’ Party (PT), federal deputy Gleisi Hoffmann (PR), has a history of publicly defending Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. On Monday, the 29th, a note signed by the party’s national executive recognized Maduro as “re-elected president” in an election questioned by suspicions of fraud, prompting criticism from opponents of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) and causing a “split” in the party.
The note from the national Executive caused discomfort within the PT, with a more moderate wing of the party considering it “hasty” to recognize Maduro’s victory. The group also fears that the statement will harm Lula’s image by reinforcing his association with the Venezuelan dictator. The relationship between the two is already being exploited by allies of former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL).
PT members told the State that, since taking over the party leadership in 2017, Gleisi has established herself as one of the main voices in defending the PT’s rapprochement with Chavismo. On other occasions, statements by the president and notes from the PT’s National Executive that mentioned the Venezuelan government have caused friction within the party.
Gleisi has already said that Maduro had ‘legitimacy’ and compared the opponent to Michel Temer
When she took over as president of the PT in 2017, Gleisi said that the party expressed “support and solidarity” with Maduro. At the time, Juan Guaidó, an opponent of Chavismo, declared himself president of Venezuela. The PT member made the statement at the 23rd Meeting of the São Paulo Forum, a traditional gathering of left-wing parties and politicians, held in Nicaragua.
During the political crisis, Gleisi compared Guaidó to former president Michel Temer (MDB), who took office after the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff (PT). “The opposition to Maduro wants to come to power like Temer. It seems that things there (in Venezuela) are different. Whether you like Maduro or not, he has legitimacy, he was elected at the ballot box, which is not the case with those who govern Brazil today,” she said.
Gleisi said that not attending Maduro’s inauguration would be ‘cowardice’
In 2019, Gleisi went to Venezuela to represent the Workers’ Party at Maduro’s inauguration, when he took office for a second term. Just like now, Maduro’s victory was questioned due to the lack of fairness in the counting of votes and the persecution of opponents.
Then-Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) and 12 other presidents signed a document asking Maduro not to take office. Bolsonaro’s stance was criticized by Gleisi, who classified the Planalto as subservient to the interests of the United States at the time.
“To make it clear that we do not agree with the interventionist and coup-mongering policies encouraged by the United States, with the support of the current Brazilian government and other reactionary governments. Blockades, sanctions and sabotage maneuvers violate international law, causing the Venezuelan people to suffer brutally,” Gleisi stated in a PT statement, in which she justified her presence at the dictator’s inauguration ceremony.
On X (formerly Twitter), Gleisi stated that not attending the Venezuelan dictator’s inauguration would be “cowardice” and downplayed criticism of the Chavista’s authoritarianism. “The left can criticize the Maduro government, but the fate of Venezuela is in the hands of its people and no one else,” said the PT president in January 2019.
Gleisi said that Venezuela is the target of ‘a lot of prejudice’
In May of last year, during Lula’s third term, Gleisi defended Maduro’s arrival in Brazil and the rapprochement between the two countries. According to the PT president, he is the target of “a lot of prejudice”. The party leader also stated that Lula had already met with leaders “from the most varied political regimes”.
During the dictator’s visit to Brazil, Lula stated that Maduro was the target of “narratives” and classified the Venezuelan’s opponents on the international stage as “our adversaries”. The Chavista, in turn, stated that he was the target of “persecution” carried out by the United States.
“I think it is up to Venezuela to show its narrative, so that it can change people’s opinions. You need to build your narrative and I think that from everything we have discussed, your narrative will be better than the one they have used against you. Our adversaries will have to apologize for the damage they have done to Venezuela,” said Lula at the time.
Gleisi credited Lula with the agreement between Maduro and the opposition
In October of last year, the PT president mentioned a pact between Maduro and the opposition that “guaranteed” the holding of the presidential election. According to her, the agreement was made after direct coordination between Lula and Venezuelan politicians.
“President Lula, once again, has shown that respecting the sovereignty of countries and promoting dialogue is the path to peace and democracy. Very different from the extreme right and the subservient Bolsonaro supporters who were in government before him,” said Gleisi at X.
From the announcement of the agreement until the election, Maduro’s main opponents were banned from participating in the presidential election. One of them was Maria Corina Machado, the leading representative of the fight against Chavismo who won more than 90% of the opposition’s votes in the primaries and was declared ineligible by the Venezuelan justice system, which is controlled by the government.
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