Venezuelan Opposition Leader Accuses Supreme Court of Overstepping Authority Amid Election Controversy
Edmundo González Urrutia, the Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate, issued a vehement statement on Wednesday asserting that the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) cannot assume the functions designated to the National Electoral Council (CNE). This declaration comes as the TSJ, under the influence of the ruling party, embarks on an audit of the contentious results from the July 28 presidential election, which the CNE claims was won by President Nicolás Maduro.
The TSJ is currently scrutinizing the voter tally sheets; however, these documents have not been made public. The opposition is accusing the government of committing voter fraud and not recognizing González Urrutia's purported victory. "The National Electoral Council must enforce what the people have called for, and comply with and enforce the Constitution and the laws," González Urrutia asserted. He emphasized that the will of the people cannot be ignored by anyone, regardless of their position of power.
In his statement, González Urrutia further contended that the Electoral Chamber of the TSJ is not authorized to carry out the functions it is undertaking, warning that doing so would violate the principle of separation of powers as laid out in the National Constitution. He noted, "The TSJ would be invading an exclusive duty of the Electoral Power and trampling on the decision of the people."
Following the CNE's declaration of Nicolás Maduro as the election winner, the Electoral Power reported that its systems had been hacked and subsequently closed, without providing a detailed report of the voting records, which is standard practice. Since that incident, the president of the CNE, Elvis Amoroso—a close associate of Maduro—and the rest of the electoral council have remained silent.
In response to the TSJ’s announcement, the opposition published a detailed inventory of the tally sheets procured through the efforts of election observers and anonymous collaborators working on the night of the election. Opposition leader María Corina Machado urged the public to examine the digitized tally sheets, which were made available online in response to the CNE’s lack of transparency. According to the opposition's findings, González Urrutia achieved a decisive victory, with 67% of the vote against Maduro's 30%.
This announcement incited widespread protests, leading to the defacement of nine statues of Hugo Chávez on his birthday. The Maduro government reacted by violently suppressing the demonstrations, further accusing the opposition of orchestrating a conspiracy of fascism. Numerous election observers have reportedly faced prosecution, accused of participating in this alleged conspiracy.
Chavista leader Jorge Rodríguez has claimed that the voter tallies presented by the opposition are fabricated. Amidst the chaos, Maduro announced that he possessed all of the tally sheets and asked the TSJ, as the highest court in the Republic, to resolve the dispute over the election results. These tally sheets, which have also not been made public, are under review by the TSJ.
Caryslia Rodríguez, the president of the TSJ, accepted the case and promised a thorough examination of each tally sheet to verify its authenticity and to officially confirm the election winner. State-owned channel Venezolana de Televisión has been providing updates on the counting and verification process undertaken by technicians.
Opposition technicians maintain that the voting records are sophisticated, difficult to manipulate, and include features such as electronic signatures and QR codes, making it easy to verify their authenticity. Machado, at an opposition rally in Caracas, expressed a desire for Chavistas to disclose their records, stating, "I hope they do it. It would be public proof of fraud. I am waiting for them to publish their records."
In a related development, Enrique Márquez, the presidential candidate from the Centrados party, has called for the recusal of Caryslia Rodríguez from the case, citing her longstanding ties to the ruling party, arguing that a judge cannot administer justice without impartiality.
Additionally, reports have emerged of politically motivated mass layoffs within some sectors of the Venezuelan state, including the state-run Venezolana de Televisión, as management became aware of the political beliefs of numerous employees who support claims of electoral fraud. In response to this trend, María Corina Machado issued a recorded message urging state employees to rally behind the opposition's call for change, decrying the regime's oppressive tactics. "They are trying to terrorize public employees. You are the majority, and the hierarchs of the regime are a minority. You also want this change as much as I do," she declared.
The ongoing political turbulence marks a significant challenge for the Maduro government, with increasing calls for transparency and accountability amidst allegations of electoral misconduct.
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