Gladys Gutiérrez

Gladys María Gutiérrez Alvarado (born 16 April 1962) was the head of the Venezuelan Supreme Court from May 2013 until February 2017, and again from April 2022 until January 2024.

Career and education Gutierrez studied law at the Universidad Central de Venezuela. She became member of the Constitutional Court on 9 December 2010.

In 2003 the central government named Gutiérrez ambassador to Spain. She was also general consul of Venezuela in Spain and director of the Office for the Ministers' Council.

Head of Supreme Court Gutiérrez became president of the Supreme Court in May 2013. Her election was contested by the opposition.

In August 2013 she led the court that dismissed Henrique Capriles' election appeal. Capriles had claimed the audit was a fake and did not correspond with the audit of actual ballots.

Gutiérrez presided the trial that sentenced mayor Vicencio Scarano Spisso to 10.5 months in jail for insubordination.

On 17 January 2024, she was replaced as president of the Supreme Court by Caryslia Rodríguez.

Sanctions Gutiérrez was sanctioned by several countries.

The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Gutiérrez and seven members of the Venezuelan Supreme Justice Tribunal (TSJ) in May 2017 for usurping the functions of the Venezuelan National Assembly and permitting Maduro to govern by decree. The U.S. assets of the eight individuals were frozen, and U.S. persons prohibited from doing business with them.

Canada sanctioned 40 Venezuelan officials, including Gutiérrez, in September 2017. The sanctions were for behaviors that undermined democracy after at least 125 people were killed in the 2017 Venezuelan protests and "in response to the government of Venezuela's deepening descent into dictatorship".