VENEZEULA-Lula Says Options For Maduro Include New Elections

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva has continued to harden his rhetoric with regards to the political situation in neighbouring Venezuela. Speaking to Radio T, Lula said it was not known "so far" who won the election as the official returns have not been released. Lula says that President Nicolas Maduro "knows that he owes everyone an explanation," regarding the situation and election result. Lula says that Maduro could look to form a coalition with opposition forces, or call new elections. Lula: "Maduro has six months left in office. If he has common sense, he could even call new elections, creating an electoral committee with opposition members and observers from around the world,"

• Lula's chief foreign policy advisor Celso Amorim said in a Senate hearing earlier that the Brazilian leader would talk to his US counterpart Joe Biden 'today or tomorrow' regarding the situation in Venezuela. Says that the Lula gov't will not recognise the election without voting tally sheets detailing the results from the Maduro-aligned National Electoral Council (CNE). Amorim says “We are promoting dialogue to see if any ideas emerge."
• Western countries were swift to condemn the 28 July election as fraudulent, but since then have done little in the way of involving themselves in the power struggle.
• Reuters reports that "The Biden administration has been keen not to complicate the way forward for the opposition,[...] as Venezuelans seek "even small concessions" from Maduro, a person familiar with Washington's thinking said."