Good point. And that is where Lula and Maduro are very similar being both byproducts of a sophisticated political elite operating behind the scenes in Latin Ame

Good point. And that is where Lula and Maduro are very similar being both byproducts of a sophisticated political elite operating behind the scenes in Latin America. (some people use "deep state", but I think it is too much of a US based terminology. In Brazil we say "sistema", the system, and we are more used to it.) This elite in Venezuela is responsible for keeping Maduro where he is today. And its Brazilian counterpart is responsible for releasing Lula from prison and making him a president within a 2 year time span. Maduro and Lula cannot do any of that by themselves.