Venezuela’s Supreme Court has backed President Nicolas Maduro’s claims that he won last month’s election and said voting tallies published online showing he lost by a landslide were forged. The ruling is the latest attempt by Maduro to blunt protests and international criticism that erupted after the contested vote in which the self proclaimed socialist leader was seeking a third, six-year term. The high court is packed with Maduro loyalists and has almost never ruled against the government. Its ruling Thursday came in response a request by Maduro to review vote totals after the opposition published online tallies from 80% of voting booths showing opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez won by a more than 2-to-1 margin.
