Venezuelan Supreme Court Summons Candidates for Election Certification

BTN News: In Venezuela, the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) has called the recent presidential candidates to testify. This comes after Nicolás Maduro, the proclaimed winner, asked the court to confirm the election results. The opposition says the election was fraudulent.

The TSJ’s Electoral Chamber has summoned both Maduro and his main rival, Edmundo González Urrutia, to appear. Maduro has accused González Urrutia and opposition leader María Corina Machado of planning a coup against him and has threatened them with jail. Eight other minor candidates have also been called. Maduro said he will attend and hopes all candidates will be there.

Caryslia Rodríguez, the head of Venezuela’s highest court, announced that the chamber has accepted Maduro’s request. They will start an “investigation and verification process to certify the election results.” The hearing is set for Friday at 14:00 local time (18:00 GMT).

Rodríguez stressed the court’s duty to uphold peace, democracy, and constitutional order. She assured that the voters’ will would be protected by the court.

The National Electoral Council (CNE), which also supports the government, declared Maduro re-elected for a third six-year term. According to them, he won with 51% of the vote, while González Urrutia got 44%. González Urrutia ran for the main opposition alliance, the Unitary Platform, after María Corina Machado was politically disqualified.

The opposition claims to have copies of more than 80% of the voting records and says that González Urrutia actually won 67% of the votes. Protests broke out after the election, resulting in at least 11 deaths according to human rights groups. The opposition says the death toll is 20.

Machado has gone into hiding. She fears for her life and freedom. She wrote an opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal about this. Maduro’s demand for her and González Urrutia to be jailed adds to the tense political situation. He accused his opponents of promoting a “coup d’état” with their fraud claims and said they have “blood on their hands.” He insists they should be imprisoned.