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Caracas (AFP)

Venezuela's Supreme Court on Friday rejected a bid to put on trial several senior judges accused of favoring embattled President Nicolas Maduro as he clings to power in the face of deadly unrest.

The case was brought against eight of the court's judges by Attorney General Luis Ortega, the most senior figure to challenge Maduro in the crisis.

Her stand against the socialist president has prompted speculation of a rift in the governing camp that could eventually lead to Maduro's departure.

He however retains the support of the military and is resisting opposition calls for early elections to remove him.

Ortega had accused the judges of breaching the constitution.

Lead judge Maikel Moreno dismissed the case as unfounded in a ruling on Friday, the court said in a statement.

It was the latest in a series of legal challenges by Ortega that have been rejected by the judicial authorities, which the opposition says are controlled by Maduro.

© 2017 AFP