Venezuela's Supreme Court begins audit of election results and says the court's decisions will be 'Unappealable'
The president of the Venezuelan court announced the beginning of the examination phase in response to the growing international outcry. According to the judge, the material will be analyzed within a period of 15 days, which may be extended.
Nicolás Maduro, president of Venezuela - Photo Reproduction / Federico Parra / AFP
Venezuela's Supreme Court began a comprehensive audit of the election results this Saturday (10). presidential elections that elected Nicolás Maduro in July. According to the president of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) of Venezuela, after the completion of the "expertise" phase, a decision will be made. The magistrate Caryslia Beatriz Rodríguez, head of the Supreme Court and the electoral chamber, stated that the expert examination that began on August 5, 2024 is still ongoing to produce the final sentence that will respond to the appeal in question. This decision, as it was handed down by the highest instance in electoral matters, will have the character of res judicata, and is therefore unappealable and mandatory.
To Audit
The Supreme Court of Venezuela, aligned with Maduro, began an audit of the result released by the National Electoral Council (CNE), at the request of the president himself. The CNE had declared Maduro's re-election with 51.2% of the votes, without, however, presenting the electoral records. The opposition denounced fraud, claiming to have 80% of the minutes that, according to them, prove González Urrutia's victory. However, Chavismo rejected this evidence, classifying it as false. Last Friday (9), faced with growing international pressure, Maduro visited the Supreme Court, requesting validation of his re-election, which the opposition accuses of being fraudulent.
The Supreme Court had already held an audit session of the results on the 2nd. At that time, eight of the nine candidates present signed a document in which they agreed with the results announced by the National Electoral Council. This signature was an attempt by Maduro to give the elections a legal aspect, some political analysts say.
International pressure
The international community has supported the Venezuelan opposition, led by María Corina Machado and candidate Edmundo González, in demanding transparency in the electoral process. Countries such as the USA and the European Union considered González the winner based on the parallel count carried out by opponents, which points to 66% of the votes for González and 30% for Maduro. Previously, the influential Chavista leader Diosdado Cabello was at the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) representing the government party and commented on María Corina Machado's statements to AFP.
She had suggested a negotiation for a democratic transition, which would include guarantees, safe conduct and incentives for all parties involved, particularly for the regime defeated in the presidential election. Cabello told journalists that Machado is not in a position to negotiate. According to him, the CNE, the country's regulatory body, declared Nicolás Maduro Moros as the winner, a result that was accepted by Venezuelans.
Venezuelan Electoral Act
The United States, which recognized González Urrutia's victory, and the European Union, which called for independent verification of the electoral process, as well as Latin American countries, including Maduro's allies such as Brazil, Mexico and Colombia, are demanding the publication of the minutes . The president of the CNE, Elvis Amoroso, appeared at the Supreme Court on Monday and stated that he had delivered all the requested documentation: voting records from the electoral tables, the final record of the count and a copy of Maduro's proclamation.
According to the president of TSJ, Caryslia Rodríguez, the material will be analyzed within 15 days, which can be "extended" if necessary. Edmundo González Urrutia was summoned by the court on Wednesday, but did not appear, claiming in a statement that he was in absolute vulnerability and had suffered a violation of due process. In turn, Maduro continues to denounce an attack and directs his criticism to social media. The president, who claims to have stopped using WhatsApp and last Thursday ordered the suspension of X for 10 days.
