Electoral Chamber of the TSJ began hearing process
The Electoral Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice began the hearing process of the ten presidential candidates of the elections of last July 28. teleSUR
Category
đź—ž
NewsTranscript
00:00We are live in TeleSur English and we go now to Venezuela to the Supreme Court of the country
00:10to see the latest updates on the following up of the elections that took place on July
00:1828th.
00:19We are looking at live images from the Supreme Court of Justice.
00:27Let's recall that on Wednesday, the President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, filed an appeal
00:37before the Supreme Court, in particular before the electoral chamber of the Supreme Court,
00:46in order for the court to be able to verify the complete process of the elections that
00:52took place on July 28th.
00:56And after this appeal was made, the Supreme Court of Justice summoned for this Friday
01:04all the political actors that participated in the elections of July 28th for this Friday
01:14to begin the verification process regarding these elections.
01:24Now we're looking at images of President Nicolás Maduro, who has arrived at the Supreme
01:31Court of the country.
01:35He is one of the political actors who has been summoned in this context.
01:46And of course, all of the other candidates have also been summoned.
01:51The objective of this process, as was presented by President Nicolás Maduro on Wednesday,
01:58was to be able to verify the complete process and also begin a thorough investigation also
02:10into all the actions that happened after the election, including a sector of the opposition
02:20that decided not to recognize, openly not to recognize, the results provided by the
02:26electoral authorities.
02:28So the appeal made by the president aims for the Tribunal of Justice to be able to go over
02:37the entire process, summon all the political actors, and follow through on the complete
02:45investigation to guarantee the complete process being open and clear for the Venezuelan people.
03:00Of course, in a sovereign way, in a context of an important siege by part of the international
03:10media that the authorities of the Venezuelan country have also been constantly denouncing.
03:20So what we're looking at now is President Nicolás Maduro at the Supreme Court in this
03:29process that begins today, Friday.
03:35That is what we are looking at.
03:37We have heard just recently ago from the National Electoral Council authorities, and
03:48at this moment we are looking into images that are live images right now from Caracas,
03:55from the Supreme Court of Justice of Venezuela, now taking upon themselves to follow through
04:04on the appeal filed by the constitutional president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro,
04:13who has also been awarded as winner of the elections, as was communicated by the National
04:23Electoral Council on Sunday, July 28, after election day, and also ratified today, Friday,
04:38by the same National Electoral Council authorities.
04:43Let's recall that at the moment of presenting and announcing to both national and international
04:52media the decision of the president to file this appeal before the Supreme Court regarding
05:02the election process in an attempt for the justice system to take over the clarification,
05:13and any clarification, if any, needed regarding the election process.
05:18The president, Nicolás Maduro, stated that one of the key points of his presentation
05:27was to make sure that the PSUV and the Great Patriotic Poll, representing the ruling party,
05:37the ruling coalition, committed themselves to presenting 100% of the tally sheets regarding
05:46the election of July 28, and they committed themselves to that.
05:52They assured that this would be the case.
05:55They would do this, of course, as summoned by the tribunal, the Supreme Court of Justice.
06:02And in the same effort, they stated that all other political parties, if the Supreme Court
06:16deemed this necessary, could be summoned to do the same.
06:21In this way, presenting all the tally sheets that they hold in their power, we are talking
06:28about confirmation tally sheets that are part of the Venezuelan electoral system and can
06:42be used as a way to attest, to prove the election.
06:49This is part of the electoral system with which Venezuela carries out its elections.
07:00Let's recall that this has been a very thoroughly audited system.
07:05It has been audited several times, both from national and international technicians.
07:13Still, this effort of being able to present all the data from the ruling party and also
07:21summoning all participants in the activity to do the same is an effort from the government,
07:30in this case from President Nicolás Maduro, to try to clarify, as he said it, anything
07:42that needs to be clarified, if needed, with transparency, with clarity, and with the Venezuelan
07:54Supreme Court of Justice as the maximum authority to decide on the matter in a sovereign way,
08:06in a context in which international interference is, of course, rejected by the government
08:17of Venezuela.
08:19So, of course, the maximum court, the top court of the country, is the constitutional
08:26organ capable.
08:30In this case, we're talking about the electoral chamber within the tribunal court.
08:36So, we were talking about images.
08:49We're looking live from Caracas.
08:51This is the Supreme Court of Justice.
08:53We have seen constitutional president Nicolás Maduro, along with other candidates who have
09:00made themselves present.
09:02They have been summoned by the top court for this occasion, and this comes about after
09:12President Nicolás Maduro filed on Wednesday a contentious resource, an appeal before the
09:23electoral chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice in order for the maximum tribunal,
09:31the top court of the country, to be able to, in a transparent manner, verify the complete
09:39electoral process that took place on July 28th, and also all the actions that happened
09:50after the July 28th.
09:53Let's recall that the general attorney of the country, we're just seeing him on screen,
10:02has been giving updates all throughout this week about the investigations that are currently
10:10being carried out for vandalic and violent actions that have been present, specifically
10:21since Monday, one day after the election took place, apparently after or on behind of different
10:35groups, far-right groups, and after a part of the extreme right-wing opposition decided
10:43not to recognize the official results of the...
11:05So that is what we were looking at.
11:07We are looking for, we'll be seeing further updates.
11:14We were seeing all the actors, political actors, that have been summoned to the tribunal court
11:24of justice.
11:25This is one of the appeals and one of the instances that Venezuela, in a sovereign way,
11:34is appealing for this court to bring light and reassurance and transparency to anything
11:45that has happened, including allegations from the extreme right-wing opposition, which will
11:50be called upon, probably in this instance, to show proof of declarations that they have
12:00made.
12:02One of the objectives of the executive in this case, that again, let's recall, it was
12:11President Maduro on Wednesday who filed the appeal that brings all the political actors
12:16together at the Supreme Court.
12:19At this moment, one of the objectives is to be able, through the power of the top court
12:27of the country, to summon the political actors to show proof before justice of any allegations
12:37that they may have, as to confront this with the real information and the proof that all
12:49the other political actors have.
12:51And so, in this way, the maximum tribunal of the country may be in a position to issue
13:03a final statement on the situation regarding July 28th.
13:11Let's recall that July 28th was presidential elections, first presidential elections after
13:18a number of democratic instances in which a sector of the extreme right-wing opposition
13:26agrees after a process of international mediation to rejoin the democratic game.
13:36So they presented themselves in this election process.
13:43However, after President Nicolás Maduro was announced re-elected on Sunday night by the
13:52National Electoral Council, this sector of the opposition rejected the results, did not
14:02recognize the results, and ballot issued a series of accusations for which they have
14:09shown no official proof and no official denounces before the correct institutions.
14:22They have been mainly operating in the media realm.
14:27So through this appeal, President Nicolás Maduro seeks to bring this situation to the
14:42realm of the top court of the Supreme Court of Justice for it to be able to carry out
14:50a thorough investigation, including all political actors, and find all the denunciations, find
15:01all the proof, and consider, if necessary, what is their final statement.
15:10Also what are the responsibilities that lie upon different actors who have, for example,
15:21not acknowledged the results of a democratic process and of the same authorities that they
15:27had agreed to respect, in this case the electoral authorities of the country represented by
15:36the National Electoral Council, headed by Elvis Amoroso, who was in charge of issuing the first
15:45results on Sunday night and also earlier today gave their final results, which were issued
16:05just some minutes ago. We were live with them as well in Teluso English, and we will continue to
16:14provide updates on the situation. So the process that is being opened right now, as we look at
16:25live images with President Nicolás Maduro and other political actors already participating,
16:34already in the headquarters of the Supreme Court of Venezuela, opens this new chapter
16:48in what began, or at least had its paramount event on July 28th, Sunday, Election Day.
16:57And Election Day also, let's recall, happened in a calm environment, a peaceful environment,
17:08in which all Venezuelans who were credited and registered to do so could come to the ballot
17:19and place their votes. This was a very significant moment after an important part.
17:30Let's listen to the authorities.
17:49Good afternoon to all of you. It has been declared the opening of this at.
18:09Secretary, please, you have the floor. The target of the present hearing is
18:18in conformity with Articles 207 and the Articles 12 and 14 of the Code of Proceedings
18:30applicable to the organic law of the Supreme Court of Justice in the
18:40in the contentious appeal filed by President Nicolás Maduro Moro.
18:48And this is, there is a constancy of the claiming of Nicolás Maduro Moro,
19:01well, Claudio Eloy, Fermin Maldonado, BenjamĂn, JosĂ© RodrĂguez, Luis Eduardo MartĂnez Hidalgo,
19:12Javier Alejandro, Petuchi Carrero, and Daniel Omar Ceballos Morales, and Enrique Octavio
19:20Marquez-PĂ©rez, who are acting in the character as presidential candidates who participated on
19:29July 28th elections, 2024. Likewise, there's a record of the, well, there is record that
19:47the Attorney General of the Republic, Tarek William Saab, is present, and it is being
19:53informed to the sides that the president of the chamber, Magistrate Beatriz RodrĂguez,
20:01will read the corresponding, the respective act. I proceed to read the present act.
20:14Minutes. Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the Electoral Chamber of the Supreme
20:24Court of Justice. This Electoral Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Bolivarian
20:29Republic of Venezuela declares that from the historical moment that, from 1999, the deep
20:40debates of the National Assembly that founded the present constitution of the Bolivarian Republic
20:49of Venezuela, it was conceived the republic as a democratic state, social state of rights and
20:59justice, in which the sovereignty lies in the people who exercises directly through elections
21:12as a participative means. With the proclaiming of the constitution, it was born what we know
21:26as the electoral system of Venezuela in its article 187, which main objective is to protect
21:36the political rights of the population in which there are highlighted the rights of participation
21:43on elections established in articles 62, 63, and 64, respectively, of the constitutional test.
21:54So, from here, thereafter, the Electoral Chamber acts within the constitutional principles of due
22:04proceeding and to guarantee the assets of the aforementioned electoral system by applying
22:17the proceedings that regulate, that monitor the matter. So, it must be executed by constitution
22:26and with a strict observance of the principles that ruled the electoral principles.
22:37The performance of the Supreme Court of Justice ruling of the judiciary power in Venezuela in
22:45charge of providing justice, of dispensing justice, and aware of the historical accountability in the
22:55Electoral Chamber and attached to article 2 of the constitution establishes, and I cite,
23:04Venezuela is made up of a social democratic state of rights and justice that sustains as
23:15superior values the life, the freedom, justice, and equality, solidarity, and democracy,
23:26social responsibility, and in general, the prevalence of human rights, ethics, and plural
23:36multipolar politics. And as one of the public powers of the Venezuelan states
23:45is attached to the essential articles, as I cite, the defense and development of the person
23:58and the respect for its dignity, the democratic exercise of the will of the people, the building
24:05up of a fair society, lover of peace, the fostering of welfare of the people, and the
24:17guarantee compliance of their rights and duties dedicated in this constitution.
24:27So, understanding that without justice there won't be peace, the Electoral Chamber
24:36as it is in charge of protecting the activity of citizens that participated in the presidential
24:45election, took up the contentious appeal filed by constitutional president of the Bolivarian
24:55Republic of Venezuela, citizen Nicolás Maduro Moro, by which it was requested a review of the
25:06electoral process of elections on July 28th with the end of investigate and verify and validate
25:16and validate unrestrictedly the results of those elections in this organization,
25:29the only in charge of validating that, so it become these decisions of compulsory compliance.
25:42That is why all candidates, political parties and the National Electoral Council and other
25:52entities must attach, must deliver all legal minutes
26:02that have been requested by this chamber, so in this chamber lies the jurisdiction in electoral
26:15affairs, so that is why it is urged for all presidential candidates and political parties and
26:25other entities involved to respect the decisions of the court, and so we signed on August 2, 2024,
26:37the president Beatriz RodrĂguez RodrĂguez, vice president Fanny Beatriz Marquez Cordero,
26:46magistrate Inocencio Antonio Figueroa Alizaleta, and the attorney general of the Republic, Tarek
26:56William Saab, and other candidates who were summoned to the present hearing. Please,
27:09citizen secretary, could you collect the signatures?
27:16So,
27:37those were the statements of magistrate, president of the electoral chamber,
27:42and so there we have been seeing how the officials have been signing this important
27:59document, including now the court bailiff regarding this case.
28:12We're looking at images from the criminal court of justice in Venezuela,
28:17we're just listening to the authorities, in particular,
28:22president of the Supreme Court of the nation, as they began this important process into
28:30the election process, which aims to bring clarity, transparency in a sovereign way to
28:38the electoral process that took place in Venezuela. Let's recall that this comes after
28:45an appeal of protection that was filed by the president of the nation,
28:51Nicolás Maduro, seeking for the tribunal to be able to summon all the candidates. We see now
29:01as president Nicolás Maduro is signing this act that was just presented by the Supreme Court
29:15authorities. This is an important act and an important event also following the elections
29:27on July 28th and what the government itself has denounced as an attempted coup that,
29:36according to Venezuelan authorities, has been orchestrated by the extreme right wing that
29:44did not recognize the results, the official results. And then after all that process,
29:53Nicolás Maduro filed this appeal of protection that is now at this moment being taken upon
30:03by the Supreme Court of the country.
30:08We were listening to CarĂs LĂa RodrĂguez, president of the Supreme Court.
30:13She gave an account of the process, also of the relevance of the Venezuelan institutions,
30:22which are capable of taking upon themselves the investigation of their own electoral process.
30:33She also highlighted the importance of the process that begins today and also of respecting
30:49the democratic values of the country, of which this process, which has summoned all the candidates
30:56we are seeing now as how candidates are going up to sign the document that the president of
31:06the Supreme Court has presented. The importance, we were saying, the relevance of this kind of
31:15commitments to strengthen the democratic values of Venezuela.
31:32So, we are looking at images from the Supreme Court of Justice of Venezuela.
31:40Now, we are looking at BenjamĂn Rauzo, one of the candidates
31:54who has stated the importance of respect and commitment
32:02to the results issued by the democratic institutions of the country.
32:10Let's recall that all the participants of this election, except the opposition represented
32:21by Edmundo González, which is an extreme right-wing opposition to the current government,
32:28all of the other participants, including, of course, President Nicolás Maduro,
32:34had signed beforehand, as is usual and almost tradition in Venezuela,
32:43they had signed an agreement to commit themselves to acknowledge whichever results
32:54the National Electoral Council, the electoral authority of the country, gave after the election,
33:00after an election that had been audited, the electoral process has been audited by members
33:08of all parties, all political parties. So, all the candidates that we're seeing right now
33:15have previously signed already in a democratic gesture an agreement to acknowledge
33:22all the results from this election. The only sector of the opposition that had failed to sign
33:33that agreement was the sector of the opposition that, after the results were announced by the
33:42National Electoral Council, argued that they did not recognize this, to which
33:52a series of violent acts followed. Let's listen.
33:58Well, this chamber orders to add,
34:17and we appreciate, we thank you for your attendance at this hearing, at this electoral
34:30chamber of the Supreme Court, the guarantor of peace and the due proceeding.
34:39It's been declared the closure of this act.
35:09So, Edmundo González Urrutia was the only candidate who didn't attend the hearing.
35:25We're looking at images from the Supreme Court of Justice, the act for which all the candidates
35:43were summoned by the Supreme Court has just been announced as closed. Now, we see as the authorities
35:53are shaking hands with the candidates, and also one of the facts to recall, to underscore,
36:07is the absence of only one candidate in this election out of all of them who have been
36:13summoned, and that is the absence of Edmundo González,
36:20far-right candidate, former candidate in the July 28th elections, who did not come
36:30to this event, to which he, as all participants in the July 28th elections, was summoned.
36:38And in this process that is being opened at the Supreme Court of Venezuela.
36:47Those were the images, the important images from this event at the Supreme Court of Justice.
37:10Let's recall that this happens after Democratic President Nicolás Maduro summoned
37:18and called, filed an appeal before the top court to start an inquiry, a complete verification of
37:27all the results of all the data before, during, and after the July 28th elections.
37:34That is what the beginning of that process is, what we were just looking at with live images
37:41from Caracas, and we brought that live to you, the opening of that process that is now at the hands
37:52of the top court of the country, of the Supreme Court of Venezuela.