Venezuela: UN Offers Itself as Mediator in Post-Election Political Crisis

Following the position of Venezuela’s Supreme Court, which on Thursday, August 22 (Friday, August 23 in Europe) confirmed the victory of President Nicolas Maduro in the July 28 presidential election, the United Nations said it is “ready to mediate” the political crisis in the Latin American country if “all parties agree and ask for it.” The spokesman for UN Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric said: “Our good services are always available” to allow Venezuela to emerge from the political crisis caused by the tug-of-war between Maduro supporters and opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez.

The court, made up of many of Maduro’s allies, declared “fake” vote totals published online by supporters of the Venezuelan opposition that showed a fairly large victory for Gonzalez.

“This Court confirms the results of the presidential election of July 28, 2024, published by the National Electoral Council, in which citizen Nicolas Maduro was elected President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for the constitutional period 2025-2031. This is the decision,” said Venezuela’s Supreme Court Chief Justice Caryslia Rodríguez.

The Supreme Court’s decision also includes a ban on the publication of election protocols that have never before been submitted either by the National Election Board or the Supreme Court itself. All campaign materials, Rodriguez said, “remain under the Court’s control.”