Venezuela high court confirms Maduro's re-election after fraud claims

Venezuela's Supreme Court, which observers say is loyal to the government of President Nicolás Maduro, on Thursday declared him the winner of the disputed July 28 election amid opposition claims of widespread vote fraud.

In its ruling read by presiding judge Caryslia Rodríguez, the court said it had "indisputably certified election materials and validates the results of the July 28, 2024 presidential election issued by the National Electoral Council (CNE)," naming Maduro as the winner.

Maduro himself had asked the court earlier this month to weigh in on the election, in which he claims to have defeated opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia with 52 percent of ballots cast, according to the CNE. 

The CNE did not provide a precinct-level breakdown of its results, saying it had been the victim of a cyberattack. Observers however say they believe the supposed hack is an excuse to not provide vote results.

The opposition says its own tally of polling-station-level results showed González Urrutia, 74, had won more than two-thirds of votes.

"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," González Urrutia said earlier Thursday in a social media post. "Your ruling will only make the crisis worse."

Rodríguez said earlier this month that the court's ruling would be "final."

Official sources have reported 25 people have been killed, 192 injured and 2,400 arrested in election-related protests.

– TIMES/AFP