Lula da Silva on Venezuela: “There is no irrepressible president”

Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is seeking re-election, made it clear when asked about democracy in Venezuela that “there is no irrepressible president.”

Lula said Brazil will treat Venezuela with respect. This is in retaliation for its diplomatic ties with the country if he is re-elected as president.

During his session with the foreign press, he said that friendships have always been maintained with left-wing presidents in power, like Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela and Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua.

“I hope that the European Union treats Venezuela with respect and that the United States restores relations with Venezuela,” Lula added, praising the contacts between Washington and Caracas.

“There is no irreconcilable president. Brazil will treat Venezuela with respect,” Lula said.

He was later asked about his non-criticism of the region’s autocratic rulers, to which he replied: “I have always known how to respect people’s self-determination, and I cannot interfere.”

On the other hand, she said her rival, incumbent President Jair Bolsonaro, is waging a smear campaign against her and her family.

In his first press conference with foreign journalists since the start of his campaign, leftist politician Bolsonaro accused supporters of spreading lies about him and his new wife, Rosangela da Silva.

Some Bolsonaro supporters took to social media to confirm that Lula would close evangelical churches if he wins the October election. Lula has insisted on being in favor of freedom of belief and expressed it during his eight years in office (2003-2010).

His Labor party has taken legal action against the legislator and pastor who spread such views.

Bolsonaro’s supporters have said Lula’s wife is an Afro-Brazilian believer in an apparent attempt to undermine evangelical support for the former president.

Rosângela da Silva tweeted on August 9 that she and her husband will always respect people’s faith, no matter what it is, a position Lula confirmed on Monday.

When asked about press reports that Bolsonaro was interested in questioning his wife’s faith in television advertising guidelines, Lula responded: “I don’t involve any president’s wife in a political campaign. I have never included any candidate’s personal problems in his political career.

“When they start involving (candidates’) wives in campaigns, it’s because they have nothing to talk about,” Lula added.

Former President Bolsonaro, 76, indicated he would not accept the election results as “the only (candidate) who used fake news and challenged Brazilian institutions”.

Bolsonaro in his hallway

Bolsonaro has repeatedly claimed, without presenting evidence, that the country’s electronic voting system is prone to fraud, while officials and independent experts have acknowledged its reliability.

During a 40-minute interview with the Globo television network, Bolsonaro was asked on Monday whether he would accept the results of the vote and urge his staunch supporters to do the same.

His answer was vague but firm.

“Voting results will be respected as long as the election is clean and transparent,” he told a nightly news program.

He stressed that the armed forces belonging to the country’s Electoral Transparency Commission are partly responsible for determining whether the elections were conducted in a transparent manner.

He also indicated that he saw the need to be a catalyst for improving the voting system.

Bolsonaro was not asked about Lula during his interview, and the president made no reference to his rival.

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