Venezuela’s Supreme Court has upheld President Maduro’s controversial election victory. This comes as no surprise: the court is largely made up of Maduro loyalists who have little opposition to the president’s decisions.

After the July 28 elections, the electoral commission declared Maduro the winner. However, the commission supports Maduro and detailed results for each polling station have not yet been shared. The electoral council says this is due to a cyberattack, but little evidence has been provided. Independent observers were rarely allowed into the polls.

In the polls leading up to the election, opposition candidate Edmundo González was comfortably ahead. According to the opposition, he won the election with 67 percent of the vote. The United States and many Latin American countries recognize this claim and consider González the new president.

The European Union and the Organization of American States also say they have doubts about Maduro’s victory. Russia, Maduro’s ally, recognizes the official results of the election.

In addition to certifying the election results, the Supreme Court has asked the public prosecutor to investigate the falsification of public documents. According to Maduro and his party, the opposition published false election results.

Since the election, González supporters have taken to the streets. Riot police are cracking down. At least 23 people have been killed and more than 1,500 arrested since July 29, according to the human rights organization Fora Penal.