Venezuelan court confirms president’s victory

Venezuela’s highest court has upheld the re-election of Nicolás Maduro as president, following accusations of widespread electoral fraud in July’s polls.

The decision by the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) comes as the United Nations has warned that the court lacks independence and impartiality.

The TSJ said it had reviewed documents from the country’s electoral authority, who said Mr Maduro had won just over half the voteand he acknowledged that he had been victorious.

Mr Maduro hailed Thursday’s court ruling as a “historic and forceful decision”.

Announcing the court’s decision, TSJ director Caryslia Rodríguez said: “The electoral material evaluated is certified without objection and the results of the presidential election of July 28 published by the National Electoral Council (CNE), in which Nicolás Maduro was elected President of the Republic, are validated.”

The decision is not subject to appeal, she said.

Marta Valiñas, chair of the fact-finding mission organized by the UN Human Rights Council, said the government had “exerted undue influence on the decisions of the TSJ” using “direct messages to judges and public statements.”

Francisco Cox Vial, another member of the U.N. fact-finding mission, said Ms. Rodriguez was a member of Mr. Maduro’s ruling party and had held elected positions within it.

Mr Maduro has ruled the country since 2013 and his re-election means he can serve another six-year term.

At least 23 protesters killed in anti-government demonstrations Since last month’s elections, about 2,400 more people have been arrested, according to the UN.

Protests erupted after the CNE declared Mr Maduro the winner on election night, without releasing a detailed vote count.

The opposition claims the results prove its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, won easily and has published copies collected by its election observers on the Internet.

The documents, which have been reviewed by independent experts and media, suggest that Mr González won 67% of the vote to Mr Maduro’s 30%.

Several Western countries have urged Venezuelan authorities to release the full vote count, while others, including Russia and China, have congratulated Mr Maduro on his victory.

In addition to the deaths and arrests of protesters in recent weeks, the Maduro government has also launched an investigation into opposition leaders for allegedly inciting the country’s military to commit crimes.

They also began pushing through the National Assembly a law that would tighten rules on non-governmental organizations and forced the resignations of state employees who declared pro-opposition views.

The 2018 presidential election was widely criticized as unfair and unfree, with opposition candidates imprisoned, barred from running, or forced into exile.

“These days you have to be very careful about who you talk to and what you say to the people around you,” Dina tells the BBC World Service. “They can ask for your phone, and if they see something they think is suspicious, you can go to jail.”

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