Court endorses Maduro win amid warnings, violence

Venezuela's supreme court validated the reelection of President Nicolas Maduro to a third six-year term, maintaining he is the victor of the polemic 28 July vote.

The court did not present any electoral material, ballots or tallies to support the claim, and no experts offered testimony.

"This chamber declares ... the validity of the electoral material surveyed and validates the results of the presidential election," court chief justice Caryslia Rodriguez said. She also declared presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez to be in contempt of court for not attending the proceedings.

Rodriguez's announcement came two hours after a UN mission questioned the official results.

"We warn about the lack of independence and impartiality of the supreme court of justice and the national electoral council of Venezuela, which have played a role within the repressive machinery of the state," the UN fact-finding mission on Venezuela posted on social media.

Gonzalez has produced electoral material, including tallies printed by voting machines and signed by witnesses on election day, giving him the victory by almost 70pc to 30pc. The "actas," as the tallies are known in Venezuela, were validated by several independent parties, including the Carter Center, the UN and the Organization of American states.

The CNE electoral agency has also failed to present any of the other sets of these documents. Audits were never conducted.

The Maduro government confirmed this week that 27 Venezuelans were killed in post-electoral violence, for which it blamed the opposition. Human rights non-government organization Provea said the bulk of the violence came from police and the military. Six anti-Maduro demonstrators were killed on 29 July near an army base.

By Carlos Camacho