Maduro confirms to Lula that he will hold elections in Venezuela

Meeting

Leaders held a meeting to discuss topics related to the two countries

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva met this Friday (1) with the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 8th Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), in Kingstown, capital of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

According to a statement released by Palácio do Planalto, Lula and Maduro discussed issues that involve both countries.

The Venezuelan president guaranteed that presidential elections will be held in his country in the second half of this year. Maduro told Lula that he had reached an agreement with opposition parties and that international observers would monitor and audit the election, according to the note.

Another topic of conversation was action to combat illegal mining on the lands of the Yanomami people, which cover Brazilian and Venezuelan territories.

Essequibo

The Presidency of the Republic reported that Lula and Maduro did not address the Essequibo territorial dispute. Thus, as the topic was not discussed in Lula’s bilateral meeting with Irfaan Ali, president of Guyana, on Thursday (29).

In December 2023, presidents Nicolás Maduro and Irfaan Ali signed a joint declaration in which the two countries commit not to use force against each other in the dispute over territory.

The measure was adopted after Venezuela held a popular consultation that approved the incorporation of Essequibo, a region disputed by the two countries for more than a century, which makes up almost 75% of Guyana’s territory. The Venezuelan government also authorized the exploration of natural resources in the region and appointed a military governor for the area. It was the trigger for tensions between the two countries to increase ever since.

The Brazilian government even reinforced the presence of military troops in Roraima, which borders the two countries, and defended the resolution of the controversy between the two nations through mediated dialogue. Brazil is the only country that shares a simultaneous border with Guyana and Venezuela, and a possible military conflict could threaten part of Brazilian territory in Roraima.

The note says that upon leaving the meeting, Maduro told journalists that the conversation with Lula was “very good” and served to “strengthen cooperation” between the two nations. Maduro made an official visit to Brazil in 2023, where he was received by Lula at the Palácio do Planalto.

Bolivia

President Lula also met with the President of Bolivia, Luis Arce, in Kingstown. The two representatives dealt with expanding trade and investment in infrastructure and prospecting for natural gas in Bolivian territory.

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