Venezuela's Election Controversy: Supreme Court's Role and International Reactions

Venezuela's supreme court has announced it received no electoral evidence from the opposition in the disputed July 28 presidential election. The court emphasized its final ruling would be unappealable. The opposition claims their candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, won, contrary to the election authority's declaration favoring President Nicolas Maduro.

Venezuela's supreme court announced on Saturday that it had not received any electoral evidence from the opposition coalition regarding the disputed July 28 presidential elections. The court stressed that its forthcoming decision on the matter would be final and mandatory.

The nation's elections authority has declared President Nicolas Maduro the winner, a result the opposition, led by candidate Edmundo Gonzalez, disputes. The electoral authority has yet to release a detailed vote count, raising suspicions as its website has been offline since early July 29.

The opposition has shared its own ballot count online, indicating that Gonzalez secured twice as many votes as Maduro. In Venezuela, voting machines generate three copies of voting records for relevant parties, but the supreme court only received the counts from Maduro and the electoral authority.

President Maduro recently appealed to the supreme court to confirm the electoral results, prompting the court to summon all presidential candidates. Gonzalez abstained from attending, citing potential arrest risks. Opposition members who attended the session pressured the electoral authority to release its ballots.

Chief Justice Caryslia Rodriguez stated that the Unitary Platform, the opposition coalition, did not submit any electoral materials to the court. The court received vote counts from Maduro and the electoral authority. Rodriguez concluded that once the investigation is finalized, the court's decision would be unappealable and mandatory.

Amidst the controversy, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico have called for the public release of a detailed vote count. They criticized the supreme court's involvement as insufficient. Several Latin American countries and the United States have rejected Maduro's victory, while Russia and China, Venezuela's allies, have extended their congratulations.

(With inputs from agencies.)