Leaders of the Venezuelan opposition have rejected the Supreme Court’s ruling that certifies the victory of President Nicolás Maduro in the July 28 elections and have called for continuing to defend “popular sovereignty,” claiming that the true winner of the election was Edmundo González Urrutia.
“Sovereignty resides untransferably in the people,” González himself claimed on his account on the social network X, shortly after reading a ruling that validates the conclusions of the National Electoral Council (CNE), despite the fact that this body has not released the official minutes.
According to González, who had previously questioned the legitimacy of both the CNE and the TSJ, both institutions controlled by Chavismo, he has pointed out that the bodies “emanate from popular sovereignty and are subject to it.”
Henrique Capriles, also a member of the opposition and a candidate in the 2012 and 2013 presidential elections, has stated that the ruling “does not resolve or change what the Venezuelan people decided in peace with their vote,” but rather deepens the “very serious institutional situation” in the South American country, marked by the “distrust” of the citizens in the institutions.
“We will continue to work alongside the people to ensure that the truth prevails and that popular sovereignty is respected in peace. Lies can never be a solution for Venezuela,” Capriles proclaimed on social networks.
The opposition has presented documents that would support González’s electoral victory and has achieved the support of most of the international community. The governments of Brazil and Colombia have tried to mediate in this crisis, but for now the Chavistas do not seem willing to make any concessions.
