Venezuela’s High Court Ratified Maduro’s Highly Contested Victory
Venezuela’s pro-Maduro Supreme Tribunal of Justice ratified Maduro’s victory in a highly contested election amid condemnation in the international community and evidence of an opposition victory.Venezuela’s Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) has ratified the contentious results of the July 28th presidential election, confirming Nicolás Maduro’s victory. However, this ruling has deepened the country’s political crisis, as opposition leader María Corina Machado, her designated candidate Edmundo González Urrutia and the international community continue to contest the legitimacy of the process, alleging widespread electoral fraud.
The TSJ’s Electoral Chamber, led by the openly pro-government magistrate Caryslia Rodríguez, issued a ruling that certified the election results, declaring them “unquestionable” and validating the victory claimed by Maduro. This move followed an investigation requested by Maduro himself, who sought to quell growing unrest and reassure skeptical international allies. Yet, the court’s decision is seen by many as yet another example of the judiciary’s subservience to the ruling party. Maduro’s contested victory was initially announced by the National Electoral Council (CNE) on July 29th, based on what they claimed was 80% of the counted ballots, which they said showed an “irreversible” lead for Maduro. However, the opposition, citing its own data, argues that their candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, was the actual winner, having secured 67% of the vote compared to Maduro’s 30%. These allegations are bolstered by the opposition’s publication of electoral data from 80% of the polling stations, which starkly contrasts with the official results. In response to these claims, the TSJ dismissed the opposition’s allegations, noting that González Urrutia failed to attend the judicial proceedings, which the court used to justify their decision. The court’s ruling also included a directive to the Attorney General to investigate possible crimes related to the opposition’s claims, including charges of document forgery and conspiracy. In addition, Maduro’s government continued its growing persecution of dissent. So far, according to Foro Penal, a non-profit organization, over 1500 citizens have been arrested and nearly 30 have been killed. However, this ruling is another iteration of the TSJ’s long history of judicial manipulation in Venezuela in favor of the ruling party PSUV (United Socialist Party of Venezuela). Since the late 1990s, the judiciary has progressively fallen under the control of the government. This legacy of bias has severely undermined the court’s credibility, with the opposition and many international observers viewing the TSJ as an extension of the executive branch rather than an independent arbiter. Both González Urrutia and María Corina Machado have denounced the court’s decision as a blatant attempt to legitimize an electoral process they believe to be fraudulent, further deepening Venezuela’s political crisis. Additionally, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, the U.S., Panamá and several other nations (including Maduro’s allies in Mexico and Colombia) continue to call on the government to release evidence of its electoral victory. |