The Minister-in-Chief of the Secretariat of Institutional Relations, Alexandre Padilha, said this Wednesday (31) that Brazil’s stance was decisive for the presidential elections in Venezuela to take place and that the Brazilian government will only take a position on the result of the election after the publication of the minutes detailing the results of the polls.
“Brazil has been a mediator since the beginning, with other countries. And this is the stance that a president of the Republic must have in order to be able to participate in the process,” he highlighted, in an interview with radio stations during the program. Good morning, Minister.produced by Brazilian Communications Company (EBC).
“What we want in a country like Venezuela and all our neighbors is for them to be at peace, without conflicts. If their economy is doing well, if they are doing well in terms of peace, without conflicts, Brazil will be the one who benefits the most. Because Brazil sells more than it buys to these neighboring countries in South America.”
“President Lula said the following: ‘I will only speak out about the election results when there are minutes’. You have minutes. Brazil has had this stance from the beginning. It has not rushed into making any statement on one side or the other; on the contrary, it has taken a firm stance, including together with other countries, such as Mexico and Colombia. The dialogue with the president itself [dos Estados Unidos, Joe] Biden yesterday [terça-feira] it was in that sense”, said Padilha.
“You need to speak out, you will say what your assessment of the elections is when there are minutes, with the election results. That’s how it is. What Brazil has said is that it will only take a position – and President Lula will also only take a position – on the result itself when there are minutes,” he reinforced.
Understand
After presidential elections held on Sunday (28), the Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was announced by the country’s National Electoral Council (CNE) as the winner of the election and eligible to serve his third term, from 2025 to 2030. He was proclaimed victorious with 51.21% of the votes against 44% for Edmundo González, second place, according to the CNE.
The result was questioned by the opposition, which cited fraud at the polls. According to opposition leader María Corina Machado, an opponent of Maduro, the opposition had access to 40% of the electoral records that would show González’s victory. Corina Machado then called for action by the Armed Forces. Upon receiving the mandate, Maduro accused an alleged coup d’état that was being prepared in the country.
After Maduro was proclaimed re-elected president, protesters took to the streets of the capital Caracasamid calls from the opposition and the international community for the full vote counts to be released. There is the expectation that the CNE will publish all minutes with the election results by ballot box, allowing verification that the minutes held by the council are the same as those printed at the time of voting and distributed to opposition inspectors and international observers.
One day after the elections, the Venezuelan government decided to expel diplomatic representatives from Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay, who contested the results of the polls.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil issued a consular alert for Brazilians who are in Venezuela. The Itamaraty asks that Brazilian residents, in transit or with a trip scheduled to the country, stay informed about the security situation in the areas where they are and avoid crowds.
