The Supreme Court statement pointing to possible "irregularities" in the Lopez case surprised government supporters and foes alike because the high court has not previously shown any signs of misgivings about its rulings. Some suggested it may have been a slight aimed at chief prosecutor Luisa Ortega Diaz, a longtime government loyalist who oversaw the trial against Lopez but is now being lionized by the opposition for her break with Maduro over his push to rewrite Venezuela's constitution.