On Thursday August 15, the governments of Brazil and Colombia announced on different channels that Venezuela should hold fresh elections or organize a cohabitation government with the far-right. Their volte-face came after having called for caution and to wait for the results of the investigations initiated by the Supreme Court of Justice regarding the electoral results. At the time, they had radically distanced them from the position of conservative and centrist leaders of the region who, following the position of the United States, recognized Edmundo González as the winner of the July 28 elections.
Lula gave his opinion on the solution to the political conflict in Venezuela in an interview with Rádio T on Thursday. He stated: “Maduro has six more months of his mandate. If he acts with common sense, he could call for new elections, forming an electoral committee with members of the opposition and international observers.”
For his part, the Colombian president wrote on X that peace in Venezuela depends on Maduro’s will, and suggested the following political measures: “Lifting of all sanctions against Venezuela. General national and international amnesty. Total guarantees for political action. Transitory cohabitation government. New free elections.”
Colombia and Brazil’s latest position also sets them apart from Mexico. During his morning press conference, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said, “Let’s see what the court decides. I do not think it is prudent for us from the outside, a foreign government, whoever it may be, to give our opinion on something that should be resolved by Venezuelans.”
AMLO emphasized, “It is contrary to our foreign policy principles. And we are not in favor of either one or the other, what we want is for the results to be made known and for the competent authority of the country where the elections took place to decide. If there is disagreement, there should be other instances. The only thing we ask is that everything be resolved in a peaceful manner, that there be no violence, no repression, that everything be peaceful.”
(Not so) surprising was the support given by the President of the United States, Joe Biden, to the Brazilian and Colombian proposals. In a meeting with the press, Biden agreed with Lula and Petro’s suggestion to repeat the elections in Venezuela. However, shortly after, a spokesperson from the National Security Council appeared to walk back this statement, clarifying that his position was on the elections “in general” and that the position of the US, recognizing González as victorious, had not changed.
In view of the statements made by Lula, Petro, and Biden, the leader of the opposition (but not the candidate), María Corina Machado, has shown herself absolutely opposed to the repetition of elections in Venezuela: “For me, it is a lack of respect for Venezuelans [to repeat the elections]. Popular Sovereignty is respected”, said the highest representative of the Democratic Unitary Platform. In addition, Machado said that it seems impossible for her political coalition to form a coalition government with the PSUV.
Rander Peña, the Vice Minister for Latin America of Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry and Vice President of International Affairs of PSUV, said in a public meeting on Thursday that Venezuela’s electoral law does not permit a second round or a repetition of elections and in response to the president’s call “there will be no second round in Venezuela and there will be no repetition of elections in Venezuela.” Regarding a government of “cohabitation” with the far-right, Peña said, can you imagine if we had asked for a government of cohabitation of Bolsonaro and Lula? Of Petro and Uribe? This is a complete fantasy.
