The President made the statements alongside the French leader, Emmanuel Macron, who is visiting Brazil.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on Thursday that “there is no legal or political explanation” for the blocking of opposition candidacies in Venezuela, something he deemed “serious.” Alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, Lula also stated that Brazil “has not taken sides” in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine to ensure some participation in negotiations for a peace agreement.

“I was banned from being a candidate in 2018, I nominated another candidate, and we lost the elections. I told (Nicolás) Maduro: ensure that the elections are as democratic as possible. Now it’s serious that the candidate couldn’t be registered, so it was something that caused damage,” said Lula about opposition candidate Corina Yoris.

“There is no legal or political explanation for prohibiting a candidate. Here, it is prohibited to prohibit unless there is a court decision. I want the elections in Venezuela to be conducted like here in Brazil,” added the Brazilian before receiving Macron’s support.

“I support everything Lula said about Venezuela,” said the French president. “The framework in which these elections [in Venezuela] are taking place cannot be democratic. I hope it will be possible to have a new framework rebuilt in the coming months. Let’s not despair, but the situation is serious with the recent events,” said Macron.

Earlier, Macron had praised the Brazilian government’s decision to issue a statement expressing concern about the direction of the election in Venezuela. “I would like to welcome your positive action, the initiative you have taken in recent days, with which we agree, to find a way out of this crisis.”

In addition, according to Lula, the paralysis of the Security Council in the face of conflicts in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip is “alarming and unacceptable.” “The arguments questioning the obligation to cease-fire erode the council’s credibility,” he said alongside the President of France.

The growth of trade between Brazil and France, currently at $8 billion annually, and the expansion of French investments here, especially in PAC projects and the new industrial policy, were also part of the conversation, according to Lula.