Venezuelan Supreme Court sides with Maduro in disputed election results
In a controversial ruling, the regime-dominated Venezuelan Supreme Court has sided with President Nicolás Maduro’s claims that he won last month’s election, despite widespread allegations of fraud. The court dismissed voting tallies published online that showed Maduro losing by a landslide as fake.
The decision, read in a courtroom filled with Maduro supporters, comes after the president requested a review of the vote totals that showed him winning by over 1 million votes. The court’s ruling contradicts findings from experts invited to observe the election, including the United Nations and the Carter Center, who deemed the results lacking credibility.
Opposition groups have accused Maduro of attempting to steal the election, with many international leaders condemning the ruling. Critics, including Chilean President Gabriel Boric, have denounced the court’s decision as further evidence of a dictatorship falsifying elections.
Despite the court’s certification, doubts persist over the legitimacy of Maduro’s victory. Polls leading up to the election consistently showed opposition candidate Edmundo González winning by double-digit margins, with many questioning the official vote tally that gave Maduro 51.2% of the vote.
The disputed election results have sparked protests across Venezuela, with both supporters and opponents of Maduro taking to the streets. The Biden administration and bipartisan congressional leaders have expressed concerns about the validity of the election outcome, calling for a rejection of the results and the release of political prisoners.
As tensions escalate in Venezuela, the international community remains divided over the future of the country and the implications of Maduro’s contested victory.
