The Supreme Court of Justice (STJ) “unambiguously certifies the electoral materials and verifies the results of the presidential election of July 28, 2024, published by the National Electoral Council, where citizen Nicolás Maduro Moros was elected President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Constitutional Order for the period 2025-2031”.The president of the Electoral Chamber, one of the six chambers that make up the STJ, made the announcement this Thursday.
“This Chamber declares that the present contested election appeal [apresentado pelo Chefe de Estado] “The highest level of techno-legal excellence is guaranteed, based on expert analysis, unrestricted and unquestionably verified and based on reports prepared by highly qualified and respected national and international election experts,” he said.
Since then, the opposition has condemned what it calls a “fraudulent result” and released online voting records from 80% of polling stations, showing opposition candidate Edmundo González winning by a 2-to-1 margin.
“Sovereignty resides irrevocably among the people”
Opposition parties have already reacted to the STJ’s announcement, calling its decision invalid. “Sovereignty resides impenetrably among the people. State institutions emerge from and are subject to the sovereignty of the people,” wrote Edmundo González on the social networking site X.
On Wednesday, the opposition had already announced that it would consider any High Court decision on the presidential elections “null and void”, arguing that any such election by the Supreme Court would violate the separation of powers provisions in the constitution. Activities.
“Gentlemen of the TSJ: No decision will alter popular sovereignty. The country and the world will know your partiality and therefore, your inability to resolve the conflict. Your decision will only make the crisis worse. “We Venezuelans are not ready to give up our freedom or our right to change for peace,” the opposition candidate wrote on his X account, calling on Maduro to allow a peaceful “political transition.”
The opposition says the STJ, while constitutionally independent, functions as an arm of the ruling party, and in particular, Judge Carislia Rodríguez should be dismissed “due to the overt political ties she maintains with the United Socialist Party”. Venezuela and with President Nicolás Maduro”.
UN for Venezuela International Mission, this Thursday, warned about the “independence and impartiality” of the Supreme Court and the National Electoral Council, accusing the two institutions of “playing a role in the repressive machinery of the state”. .
Maduro’s announcement of re-election to a third term sparked several demonstrations, which were brutally suppressed by security forces. There are records of over 2,200 arrests, 25 deaths and 192 injuries.
w/agencies