Venezuela high court confirms Maduro’s reelection after fraud claims

Venezuela’s Supreme Court, which observers say is loyal to the government of President Nicolas 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 Rodriguez, 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.

Minutes later, opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia wrote “void” on social media site X.

“The sovereignty of the people is not transferable,” he added.

Maduro himself had asked the court earlier this month to weigh in on the election, in which he claims to have defeated Gonzalez 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. The Supreme Court on Thursday said there was “evidence of a massive cyber attack against the electoral system.”

Observers 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 Gonzalez 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,” Gonzalez Urrutia said earlier Thursday in a social media post.

“Your ruling will only make the crisis worse.”

Rodriguez said earlier this month that the court’s ruling would be “final.”

The number of people killed in post-election violence has risen to 27, Venezuela’s attorney general announced Thursday. More than 190 people have been injured and 2,400 arrested in election-related protests.