Lula's Take on Venezuela: Authoritarian But Not a Dictatorship

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva stated that he believes the Venezuelan government has authoritarian tendencies but does not classify it as a dictatorship. Lula emphasized Brazil's call for transparency in Venezuela's election results that both President Nicolas Maduro and the opposition claim to have won.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has expressed his opinion on Venezuela's governance, labeling it as having authoritarian tendencies. However, he refrained from calling President Nicolas Maduro's administration a dictatorship.

In a radio interview, Lula remarked, "I don't think it's a dictatorship. It is a government with an authoritarian bias but not a dictatorship like many we know around the world."

Reiterating Brazil's stance, Lula urged Venezuela to disclose the voting tallies from the contested elections that saw the reinstallation of Maduro in late July, a result both the ruling party and the opposition have claimed as a victory.

(With inputs from agencies.)