Venezuela’s Supreme Court, which observers say is loyal to the Venezuelan government. President Nicolas Maduroon Thursday (August 23, 2024) declared him the winner of the disputed July 28 election despite opposition claims of widespread voting fraud.
In its ruling, read by presiding judge Caricelia Rodríguez, the court said it had “indisputably certified the election materials and validated the results of the presidential election of July 28, 2024, issued by the National Electoral Council (CNE),” and declared Mr. Maduro the winner.
Also read: Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro says there will be no talks with opposition over vote
Minutes later, opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia reacted to the decision by posting a photo on social media, saying it was “invalid”.
“The sovereignty of the people is not transferable,” he said. Later in a video message, he accused the court of trying to “appease” Mr. Maduro.
Speaking in the coastal state of La Guaira, Mr Maduro described the Supreme Court’s ruling as “historic and strong”.
According to the CNE, Mr. Maduro earlier this month requested the court to comment on the election, in which he claims he defeated Mr. González Urrutia with 52% of the vote.
The CNE did not give any detailed account of its results, and said it had been the victim of a cyber attack. On Thursday (August 22, 2024), the Supreme Court said there was “evidence of a large-scale cyber attack against the electoral system.”
Observers say this alleged hacked vote is an excuse not to deliver results.
The opposition’s tally of polling station-level results – which it published online – showed Mr González Urrutia, 74, won more than two-thirds of the vote. Mr Maduro’s party says the material is “fake”.
“To the judges of the Court: no decision can replace the will of the people. The country and the world know about your bias and, as a consequence, about your inability to resolve this conflict,” Mr. González Urrutia said in a post on Thursday (August 22, 2024).
“This decision of yours will make the crisis even worse.”
Mr Rodriguez said earlier this month that the High Court’s ruling would be “final”.
Lack of freedom
On Thursday (August 22, 2024), the United Nations Human Rights Council questioned the impartiality of the court in a social media post.
“We warn about the lack of independence and impartiality of the Supreme Court (TSJ) and the National Electoral Council (CNE), which have played a role in the state’s repressive machinery,” the post quoted the UN fact-finding panel as saying.
“The government has exerted undue influence on the TSJ’s decisions through direct messages to judges and public statements by Presidents Nicolás Maduro and Diosdado Cabello,” panel chairwoman Marta Valinas said, citing a lawmaker who is a key ally of the president.
Juanita Goeberts, Americas division director at Human Rights Watch, also condemned the decision.
“The (Supreme Court’s) recent ruling is nothing more than a poor attempt to judicially cover up electoral fraud,” he posted on social media. Chilean President Gabriel Boric on Thursday (August 22, 2024) called the decision a “consolidation of fraud.”
“There is no doubt that we are facing a dictatorship that rigs elections, represses those who think differently, and is indifferent to the world’s largest diaspora, which can only be compared to the situation in Syria as a result of the war,” he said in a post on social media.
Chile is home to the largest community of Venezuelan migrants in Latin America, with about 532,000 residents, according to United Nations estimates that Maduro’s government has rejected.
Boric’s government was among those criticising Maduro’s electoral victory claim in the region, leading Caracas to break diplomatic ties with eight Latin American countries in late July.
On Thursday (August 22, 2024), the presidents of Uruguay and Guatemala also criticized the Supreme Court’s decision.
Maduro’s government has rejected international criticism, and on Thursday (August 22, 2024) Venezuelan Foreign Minister Ivan Gil called for “respect and non-interference in internal affairs.”
Government repression
Venezuela’s attorney general announced on Thursday that the death toll from post-election violence had risen to 27. More than 190 people were injured and 2,400 people had been arrested. Election-related protests,
Venezuela’s parliament, controlled by members loyal to Nicolas Maduro, on Tuesday (August 20, 2024) delayed debate on a law against “fascism,” seen by critics as a means to crack down on political opponents.
Hundreds of government supporters marched “against fascism” in Caracas on Thursday.
Jorge Rodríguez, the powerful head of the legislature, said “a fascist cannot be a candidate for any elected office”, and also proposed reforms to the country’s law on political parties.
“If they want to enter the democratic game, they must first follow this punishment.”