CARACAS: Venezuela’s Supreme Court has confirmed President Nicolás Maduro’s victory in the disputed July 28 presidential election, despite widespread allegations of fraud and protests from the opposition. The court, seen by critics as aligned with Maduro’s government, declared the results valid on Thursday.
In a ruling read by presiding judge Caryslia Rodriguez, the Supreme Court upheld the results issued by the National Electoral Council (CNE), validating Maduro’s claim of a 52 percent victory over opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia. The court’s decision was framed as “indisputable” and final, dismissing allegations of vote irregularities.
Maduro’s administration has faced severe criticism following the election, with the opposition and international observers questioning the integrity of the voting process. The CNE reported a cyberattack that allegedly compromised their ability to release detailed precinct-level results.
Opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who disputes the official tally, claimed his own data from polling stations indicated he won more than two-thirds of the vote. In a social media post reacting to the court’s decision, Gonzalez Urrutia condemned the ruling as biased and accused the court of exacerbating the country’s crisis.
“To the court’s judges: no decision will replace the will of the people. The country and the world know about your bias and, as a result, your inability to resolve this conflict,” Gonzalez Urrutia wrote. He warned that the court’s decision would only deepen Venezuela’s political and social turmoil.
The election aftermath has been marked by significant unrest. Official sources report that at least 25 people have been killed, 192 injured, and 2,400 arrested during election-related protests.
