Venezuela Election: Brazil President Lula Cheering on Venezuela Opposition, Calls on Nicolas Maduro to Conduct 'Free and Fair' Elections

The Venezuela elections are in full swing as the opposition has picked Edmundo Gonzalez to challenge dictator Nicolas Maduro. This development has been welcomed by Lula, president of Brazil, as he cheered on the opposition candidate who might finally kick Maduro out of office in July,

"There's something extraordinary happening in Venezuela," said Lula during a press conference in Brasilia. "The whole opposition has gathered, the opposition is launching a single candidate, and there will be elections."

Lula is actually allied to the Venezuelan strongman but has since slammed his "friend" over Maduro's tactics of political repression, joining the United States and other Latin American countries in calling for free and fair elections in the country.

According to Bloomberg, his recent criticisms of his "ally" came after receiving much backlash thanks to his comments that urged former Venezuelan opposition candidate Maria Corina Machado and her supporters to stop "crying" and choose a replacement. This was what he and his Workers' Party did after he was arrested during the height of the 2018 Brazilian election.

Lula also welcomed the possibility that international observers in Venezuela as they would monitor the election and may ensure that "a fair election could pave the way for the end of an economic crisis that has caused millions of Venezuelans to flee the country."

"I hope that Venezuela will return to normality so that the US will lift sanctions and Venezuela can once again receive back the people who are leaving the country because of the economic situation," added Lula, who is public about criticizing the public crackdowns by his "ally" against the opposition.

Just last week, he and Colombian President Gustavo Petro agreed and called for a democratic pact between the Venezuelan government and the united opposition coalition. This would ensure that "the loser is shielded from any type of political persecution."

Venezuela Opposition Candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Representing 3 Parties During the Elections

Meanwhile, more details about the united opposition coalition's candidate challenging Nicolas Maduro, Edmundo Gonzalez, have been revealed. Before being chosen as the opposition's main candidate, Gonzalez was a little-known diplomat who served as the Venezuelan ambassador to Argentina and Algeria.

According to Reuters, the 74-year-old is not just representing one party in the race, but three. He was originally registered as the candidate for the Democratic Unity party, but also A New Time and the Movement for Venezuela, which both adopted Gonzalez as their own for the elections. The other parties in the opposition coalition will be backing Gonzalez even though he is not listed under their banner.

Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro Says He Is Open To Meeting UN Human Rights Envoy

Soon after Nicolas Maduro met with the ICC prosecutor investigating him for crimes against humanity, the Venezuelan strongman now says he is willing to meet with an envoy from the UN High Council on Human Rights whose office he recently closed down in Venezuela.

"I received the proposal to again open the Office for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk in Venezuela, and I agree we should overcome our differences," said Maduro during his statements on Venezuelan state TV. "I am ready to receive Volker Turk's envoy soon, "discuss the differences we have, the conflict that arose, so we may overcome it."

It was under Maduro's orders that the UN High Council on Human Rights had to leave Venezuela last February over a "colonialist, abusive and violating attitude." This came after the UN body's rapporteur said a government food program did not tackle the root causes of hunger.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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