Brazilian Federal Deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, issued a harsh criticism of the Venezuelan opposition that is seeking to negotiate “free elections” in Barbados, despite conditions or guarantees that such an eventuality could take place in the South American country.
Bolsonaro, who has become a critical voice on the subject from Brazil, and who is also an ally of the fight for democracy in Venezuela, referred directly to the Venezuelan opposition, making his position against elections clear while Nicolás Maduro continues to usurp the presidency.
“With Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, free elections are impossible. Negotiations have already been tried, and it was in vain. An opposition that negotiates an election with Maduro is not deceiving anyone else, perhaps it is only deceiving itself,” he said.
Although Bolsonaro is not an official voice of the Brazilian Government, he has been nominated to be Brazil’s ambassador to the United States, so his position in relation to Venezuela resembles that expressed by his father.
The position of Bolsonaro Jr. coincides with that expressed by the United States on repeated occasions about the dialogue that the Venezuelan opposition and the Maduro regime are carrying out in Barbados, with the Norwegian government acting as guarantor.
Both Elliott Abrams, US special emissary for Venezuela, as well as Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State, agree that heading into elections under these conditions would be “giving up on change in Venezuela.”
“Clearly there must be new free and fair elections. And it is not possible that there will be free and fair elections with Maduro in the presidency. I have heard our partners, some in Europe, say that they can send election observers and that the electoral power can be reformed. This does not matter. In the transition period Maduro will continue to be in charge of the army, the police, the intelligence services, and the colectivos, and will maintain control of all the sources of violence and intimidation,” Abrams told the newspaper ABC.
The special representative for Venezuela said that an ideal transition would be with “Maduro out of power” and that the parties negotiate a transitional government that leads to new elections.
“For us, the reality is that Maduro cannot hold elections. How can a transition government be formed with him in power? For us to accept elections and allow Maduro to stay is equivalent to giving up on change.”
For his part, the Secretary of State did not directly criticize the dialogue between Chavismo and the opposition in Barbados; however, he stressed that in the framework of these talks “it would be inconceivable to have elections that really represent the Venezuelan people if Maduro is still present in the country.”