Lula criticizes Maduro’s ‘authoritarian’ regime amid Venezuela election dispute

Brazilian president calls Nicolas Maduro's administration a very unpleasant regime' as diplomats explore solutions

The Brazilian president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has said Venezuela is living under a very unpleasant regime" with an authoritarian slant", as the political crisis engulfing the oil-rich South American country intensifies before fresh street protests on Saturday.

In an interview early on Friday, Lula - whose diplomats have been exploring possible solutions to Venezuela's post-election drama - offered some of his sharpest criticism yet of Nicolas Maduro's nominally socialist administration.