Lula harshly criticizes Maduro: “He has to learn that when you lose, you leave”

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva harshly criticized his counterpart Nicolás Maduro on Monday, reminding him that if he does not win the presidential elections in Venezuela on July 28, he will have to leave power.

The statement came after the socialist candidate said that if he loses, “there will be a bloodbath” and a civil war in his country.

“I was frightened by that statement. Maduro has to learn that when you win you stay, and when you lose you leave and prepare for another election,” Lula said during an interview with foreign correspondents, as quoted by the Efe news agency.

He stressed that in a democracy, “the loser gets a bath of votes, not a bath of blood.”

He also revealed that he has spoken twice with Maduro and that he has warned him that if he wants to contribute to solving the problem of growth in Venezuela and the return of migrants, he has to respect the democratic process.

For the Brazilian president, next Sunday’s elections represent the only opportunity for Venezuela to return to normality and reintegrate into the regional and international community. “That is what I wish for Venezuela and for all of South America,” he added.

In addition to the two observers that Brazil’s electoral court will send, Lula da Silva decided that his former foreign minister and current advisor on international affairs, Celso Amorim, will also travel to Venezuela to be present at Sunday’s elections.

The Brazilian president has consistently advocated for elections in Venezuela that comply with the Barbados Accords, with full participation of the opposition and results recognized by all parties.

What did candidate Edmundo González say?

Former diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia, who is seen as the favourite in polls for Sunday’s elections, thanked Lula Silva for his support for Venezuelan democracy.

“We appreciate the words of the President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in support of a peaceful and widely respected electoral process in Venezuela. We appreciate the presence of the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Celso Amorim, to observe the process on Sunday, July 28. The world is watching and supporting us,” he said.

The Brazilian president also defended the presence of international observers and expressed his concern about the veto of opposition member Maria Corina Machado.

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