Members of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela [4] (PSUV), which lost legislative seats in elections earlier this month, filed challenges [5] on Dec. 29 disputing the victory of eight opposition candidates. The opposition, Democratic Unity Roundtable [6] (MUD), won 99 legislative seats [7] on Dec. 6, giving the party legislative power for the first time in 16 years. The win for the opposition party will give them a super majority in the legislature, allowing them to challenge President Nicolas Maduro [8]. If one challenge is upheld, however, the opposition party will lose its status as a super-majority and the powers that come along with it. Critics of the challenges, such as Jesús Torrealba, secretary-general of the opposition party, describe them as a "legal tricks to steal something the voters didn't want to give...." President Maduro, in turn, said that the opposition "played dirty" in order to "purchase" their wins.
From Jurist [9], Dec. 30. Used with permission.
