Lula comments on the planned elections in Venezuela: “They will invite scouts from all over the world”
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) said this Wednesday (6) that he was “satisfied” with the scheduling of the presidential elections in Venezuela for July 28, since there are disputes about the fairness of the electoral process (Further information can be found below).
According to the president, an international observation of the Venezuelan elections has been agreed. “What they told me at the meeting I had at Celac [Comunidade dos Estados LatinoAmericanos e Caribenhos]“That is, they will invite scouts from all over the world,” he explained.
However, when asked about the fairness of the vote, Lula said that if the country's opposition behaves similarly to Brazil's, “nothing matters.”
“If the opposition candidate here behaves the same as us, it’s worth nothing,” he said.
Venezuela sets date for presidential election
Current Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Chávez's political heir who has been in power since his death, is expected to run for reelection.
The National Electoral Council (CNE), a governmentcontrolled body, was responsible for choosing the date.
According to the NGO Provea, 36 known opponents of the Venezuelan government have been arrested this year alone.