Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro is set to begin his third six-year term on January 10. The ruling party’s controlled Congress is set to host the swearing-in ceremony, despite widespread skepticism over the legitimacy of last year’s July 28 election. International and domestic critics question the fairness of the election process.
They saw contested elections Maduro celebrates victory with more than a million votes. However, the opponent Edmundo González is believed to have won convincingly. The US-based Carter Center, which was invited by Maduro’s government to observe the presidential election, confirmed that the tables released by the opposition were legitimate.
“Maduro’s assumption of another term on Friday is a clear violation of the vote of the Venezuelan people. The released tallies bear this out,” Jason Marczak, vice president and senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin American Center, told Fox News. Digital.
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The swearing-in will allow Maduro to cement a mix of policies for a country that has been plagued by cronyism, inflation and food insecurity during his more than 11 years in power.
Venezuela’s opposition leaders Maria Corina Machado and Edmundo González and President Nicolas Maduro next to protest against the recent election results. (Getty Images)
The opposition called for mass protests the day before Maduro’s inauguration. However, the government is brutal post-election crushwhich included the arrests of more than 2,000 people, created a climate of fear that could deter protesters. Venezuela’s popular opposition leader, María Corina Machado, plans to return to the public stage after months in hiding, in a last-ditch effort to stop Maduro.
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Edmundo González, recognized by the United States as Venezuela’s president-elect, was forced to flee to Spain in September after a judge issued warrant for his arrest. He recently came out of hiding and is currently on an international tour to drum up support for the Venezuelan opposition party. As part of this effort, González met with President Biden at the White House on Monday, describing their conversation as “long, fruitful and cordial.” He is also in contact with President-elect Trump.
His meetings come just days after Venezuelan authorities announced a $100,000 reward for information on González’s whereabouts, doubling down on their intent to arrest the opposition leader.
Protesters clash with police during a protest against President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas on July 29, 2024, a day after elections in Venezuela. (Federico Parra/AFP via Getty Images)
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With the Maduro regime coinciding with the second Trump administration, questions have arisen about how the president-elect will approach Maduro. Trump was a fierce critic of Maduro during his first term, and the two leaders often traded insults. However, Maduro now appears to be extending an olive branch to Trump, congratulating him on his re-election and urging him to cultivate a relationship based on “respect, common-sense dialogue and understanding.”
“The only negotiation between Trump and Maduro must be the liberation of Venezuela,” warned Isaias Medina III, a former Venezuelan diplomat at the United Nations Security Council and a fellow at Harvard.
He told Fox News Digital that “Tren de Aragua, Maduro’s illegal immigration terrorist proxy army, is a clear example of the regime’s strategy of exporting crime and chaos. Using human trafficking, drug smuggling and organized violence, they threaten US and regional security Stronger sanctions, unwavering determination and decisive action are key to eliminating the threat this criminal regime poses to the United States and its allies.Freedom for Venezuela must remain an unassailable goal to negotiate.”
President Nicolas Maduro leads celebrations marking the 22nd anniversary of Hugo Chavez’s return to power after a failed coup attempt, in Caracas, Venezuela, on April 13, 2024. (Reuters/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/photo)
Some analysts are skeptical that Trump will support the same “maximum pressure” strategy he pursued during his first term, especially given his interest in curbing migration. An estimated 7.7 million Venezuelans have fled the turbulent country since 2014.
“The incoming Trump administration will chart a new course toward Venezuela to reflect lessons learned from the previous ‘maximum pressure policy.’ Incoming national security adviser Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., co-sponsored Bolivar’s bill as a congressman to further screw Maduro and support the “courageous Democratic opposition,” while secretary of state nominee Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. he was one of the first to publicly call for the recognition of Edmund González as president-elect,” Marczak told Fox News Digital.
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Over the past few months, Maduro’s regime has detained more foreigners, including some US citizensostensibly for use as a bargaining chip with the incoming Trump administration. The charges include allegations of espionage or terrorism.
