Venezuela chooses election date, Brazil welcomes, US takes action that makes Caracas unhappy

On March 6, Brazil and the United States had their first reactions to Venezuela's announcement of choosing July 28 as the day for the country's presidential election.

Venezuela chọn ra ngày bầu cử, Brazil hoan nghênh, Mỹ lại tung hành động khiến Caracas không vui

Venezuela will hold presidential elections on July 28. Current President Nicolás Maduro is also running. (Source: Riotimes online)

The Brazilian Report reported that during a press conference with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who is visiting Brasilia, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva welcomed Venezuela's decision to set a date for the election.

“Venezuela understands that it needs to hold democratic elections at a high level so that we can restore the participation of our people… and so that we can see the US lifting its blockade and blockade,” he said.

Regarding the possibility of the election being fair, Mr. Lula da Silva said that this depends on the behavior of the opposition candidate, and affirmed that the Venezuelan government said it would invite foreign observers to monitor the election.

On the US side, the government still expressed concern when receiving notice about Venezuela's election schedule.

The United States also affirmed its commitment to constructive dialogue and support for competitive and inclusive elections, and called on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to fulfill his commitments in the electoral roadmap agreement.

A US State Department spokesperson stressed that among the agreements reached in Barbados in October 2023 between the Venezuelan government and the opposition was “to immediately invite election observers from the European Union and other countries, allow all candidates to run for office, and carry out a comprehensive update of the electoral register.”

On the same day, the administration of US President Joe Biden extended for another year the declaration of a “national emergency” regarding Venezuela, issued since 2015, emphasizing that the situation in the South American country is an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to US national security.

Regarding this, the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement of strong protest, stating that this was an "unnecessary, unreasonable and hostile action".

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