Venezuela’s Supreme Court, Loyal to Maduro, Rules Him Election Winner

On Thursday, Venezuela’s Supreme Tribunal of Justice ruled that Nicolàs Maduro won the country’s presidential election in July. The ruling comes amidst overwhelming evidence that Maduro’s opponent instead received the most votes. The court stated that “national and international experts” and tally reports from the vote machines verified Maduro’s victory. However, the court is filled with Maduro allies, and did not actually share evidence of voting tallies to support its claim. Maduro will likely use the ruling to support his argument that he should not negotiate with the U.S., Colombia, and Brazil. These countries have all called for evidence of his loss to be published. The decision “marks an escalation of repression” in Venezuela.