Brazil’s Lula urges Venezuela’s Maduro to respect vote results, is ‘frightened’ by talk of bloodbath

Associated Press

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva says his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolás Maduro should respect the results of the elections scheduled for Sunday. Lula also says he is frightened by Maduro’s reference to a possible bloodbath.  In recent weeks, Maduro and allies have increased their references to post-election violence. Lula will send a top diplomat to neighboring Venezuela as an observer of the vote. Maduro has governed Venezuela since 2013 after the death of predecessor and mentor Hugo Chávez. The 61-year-old has won elections that his adversaries deemed not to be free and fair.