On Thursday, Venezuela's Supreme Justice Tribunal confirmed President Nicolas Maduro's win in the July 28 presidential election, providing institutional support to the ruling party as the controversial election recedes from international news. Following the election and subsequent violent anti-government protests, Maduro's government has implemented measures that the opposition, human rights organizations, and unions describe as a suppression of dissent. These measures include the arrest of opposition members and protesters, an investigation into opposition leaders for allegedly encouraging the military to commit crimes, the enactment of a law that tightens regulations on NGOs, and forced resignations of state employees suspected of supporting opposition views.
The Supreme Tribunal has examined the materials from the electoral authority and concurs that Maduro won the election, according to court president Caryslia Rodriguez, who also stated that the decision is not subject to appeal. Rodriguez declared, "The results of the presidential election of July 28, as announced by the national electoral council, where Nicolas Maduro was elected president of the republic, are validated." The electoral authority has claimed since the night of the election that Maduro secured just over half of the votes, although it has not released comprehensive vote counts. The opposition has posted online what it claims to be 83% of the voting machine tallies, showing their candidate Edmundo Gonzalez with a strong 67% backing. The opposition argues that the Supreme Court lacks constitutional authority to perform electoral functions, rendering its ruling void.
In a social media post following the ruling, Gonzalez stated, "Sovereignty lies with the people and is intransferable. State organs derive from and are subordinate to popular sovereignty." Rodriguez mentioned that a copy of the court's decision will be forwarded to the attorney general for inclusion in ongoing criminal investigations into alleged irregularities related to the online publication of purportedly false election results. Both Gonzalez and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado are under investigation for various offenses, including allegedly inciting military personnel to commit crimes, after they urged security forces to respect the election results. Numerous Western nations have called for the full publication of the results, while Russia, China, and others have extended their congratulations to Maduro on his victory.
Sources have informed Reuters that the U.S. has prepared a list of approximately 60 government officials and family members who could be subject to sanctions as the first punitive actions since the vote. However, most international proposals for resolving the crisis have either been disregarded or rejected by the government, the opposition, or both. The confirmation grants Maduro, who assumed office in 2013, another six-year term, slated to commence in January.
