After a delay of more than a month, and in violation of the procedure established in the National Constitution and the Law, the questioned government-controlled National Assembly appointed the new magistrates of the Supreme Court of Justice on Tuesday, April 26.

Article 264 of the Constitution establishes that the Justices of the Supreme Court shall be elected for a single term of twelve years. However, 60% of the appointed Justices have held the position before.

After a process filled with irregularities and obscurantism, the following Justices will make up the country’s highest court:

CONSTITUTIONAL CHAMBER:

  • Gladys María Gutiérrez Alvarado (second time as Justice, former president of the Supreme Court, former rector of the National Electoral Council, and representative of the Maduro regime before the International Criminal Court)
  • Lourdes Benicia Suárez Anderson (second time as Justice, sister of the late prosecutor Danilo Ánderson)
  • Luis Fernando Damiani Bustillos (second time as Justice)
  • Calixto Antonio Ortega Ríos (second time as Justice)
  • Tania D’Amelio (Former Rector of the National Electoral Council and former member of parliament for the ruling PSUV)

POLITICAL-ADMINISTRATIVE CHAMBER:

  • Malaquías Gil Rodríguez (second time as Justice)
  • Bárbara Gabriela César Cierro (second time as Justice)
  • Juan Carlos Hidalgo Pandares (Former Military Attorney General)

ELECTORAL CHAMBER:

  • Carylisia Rodríguez Rodríguez (Former Caracas councilor for the ruling PSUV)
  • Fanny Beatriz Márquez Cordero (second time as Justice)
  • Inocencio Antonio Figueroa Arizaleta (Second time as Justice)

CHAMBER OF CIVIL CASSATION:

  • Carmen Heredia Álvarez Navas (second time as Justice)
  • Henry José Timaure Tapia (Former President of the Court Martial and the Military Penal Judicial Circuit)
  • José Luis Gutiérrez Parra (Former rector of the National Electoral Council, brother of member of parliament Bernabé Gutiérrez, sanctioned by the United States for undermining Venezuelan democracy)

CHAMBER OF PENAL CASSATION:

  • Elisa Janeth Gómez Moreno (Second time as Justice)
  • Maikel José Moreno Pérez (Second time as Justice, former president of the Supreme Court)
  • Carmen Marisela Castro Gilly (Former National Public Defender)

CHAMBER OF SOCIAL CASSATION:

  • Edgar Gavidia Rodríguez (Second time as Justice)
  • Carlos Alexis Castillo
  • Elías Rubén Bittar Escalona (Former legal representative of RCTV)

The member of parliament for the ruling PSUV, Gladys Requena, was appointed as Inspector General of Courts. Requena, who was also part of the Judicial Nominations Committee, had been nominated for the position of Justice, and her appointment is evidence of yet another irregularity in the selection process.

The following individuals were appointed as deputy Justices:

CONSTITUTIONAL CHAMBER:

  • Christopher Cornieles
  • Michel Adriana Velazquez Grillet
  • Olga Asuncion Alvarez Alvarez
  • Jackeline del Valle Sosa Mariño
  • Rene Alberto Desgraves Almarza

POLITICAL-ADMINISTRATIVE CHAMBER:

  • Eulalia Coromoto Guerrero Rivero
  • Emilio Antonio Ramos Gonzalez
  • Luis Emilio Rondon Gonzalez

ELECTORAL CHAMBER:

  • Grisel de los Angeles Lopez Sacaria
  • John Paul Torres
  • Anabel del Carmen Hernandez Robles

CHAMBER OF CIVIL CASSATION:

  • Jaime Jesus Baez Jimenez,
  • Jarneth Trinidad Cordova Castro
  • Juan Carlos Cuenca Vivas

CHAMBER OF PENAL CASSATION:

  • Ediberto Pena
  • Katherine Nayarith Harrington
  • Paul Antonio Gómez

CHAMBER OF SOCIAL CASSATION:

  • Edelio Isabel Gonzalez Diaz
  • Henedia Alexandra Moreno Perez
  • Silio Cesar Sanchez Zerpa

Translated by Jose Rafael Medina