The Chilean President today supported the statements made by his Brazilian counterpart, Lula da Silva, stating that it is inconceivable for the Venezuelan leader and candidate for the presidential post, Nicolás Maduro, to threaten “bloodbaths” if he loses next Sunday’s elections.
“I agree and support Lula’s statements: under no circumstances can you threaten bloodbaths. What leaders and candidates receive are showers of votes and these showers of votes represent popular sovereignty, which must be respected”, argued Gabriel Boric, in a meeting with foreign correspondents.
In a reference to Sunday’s electoral event, the Chilean progressive leader appealed to the Venezuelan authorities, “for the good of Venezuela and all of Latin America”, to ensure “the normal development of the electoral process with guarantees, especially for the opposition, guaranteeing unrestricted respect for duly accredited results”.
Last week, Nicolás Maduro radicalized his political speech and stated that, if he is not re-elected in Sunday’s presidential elections, the country could face a bloodbath.
On Tuesday, Maduro decided to contextualize these statements, stating that they were a “reflection”.
“I didn’t say lies, I just made a reflection, whoever was scared should drink some chamomile tea because the people of Venezuela are cured of their fear and know what I’m saying, and peace will triumph in Venezuela,” he said.
The Venezuelan President was responding to the statements of his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, without mentioning him directly, who said he was scared when Maduro stated that if he loses Sunday’s elections there will be “a bloodbath”, in an attempt, according to the opposition, to provoke abstention among those who defend his removal from power.
Maduro is in the electoral race to try to achieve a new six-year presidential term, which will be his third.
More than 21.6 million Venezuelans are called to vote in Sunday’s Venezuelan presidential election, which features ten candidates.
Maduro’s main competitor (from the United Socialist Party of Venezuela/PSUV) is the opponent Edmundo González Urritia (from the Democratic Unity Table/MUD).
During the campaign, which officially ends today, around a hundred opponents were arrested, according to human rights organizations.
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