Venezuela’s Maduro to be sworn in for third term as opposition leader vows to return Reuters
(Reuters) – Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whose nearly 12 years in power have been marked by a deep economic and social crisis, is set to be sworn in for a third term on Friday, remaining in power despite a six-month dispute over July elections and international calls for him to stand aside .
Maduro, president since 2013, was declared the winner of the July election by both Venezuelan electoral bodies and the Supreme Court, although detailed results confirming his victory have never been released.
Venezuela’s opposition says ballot tallies show a landslide victory for its former candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, who is recognized by several governments, including the United States, as president-elect. International election observers said the vote was unfair.
Months after the election, we saw Gonzalez’s escape to Spain in September, his ally Maria Corina Machado hiding in Venezuela, and the detention of prominent opposition figures and protesters.
Gonzalez, who has been touring America this week, said he would return to Venezuela to take over as president, but did not provide details.
The government, which has accused the opposition of fomenting fascist plots against it, said Gonzalez would be arrested if he returned and offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.
The state attorney’s office is investigating both Gonzalez and Machado for the alleged conspiracy, but only Gonzalez has an outstanding warrant for his arrest.
Machado’s first public appearance since August at an anti-government march in Caracas on Thursday was marred by a brief detention.
Her Vente Venezuela political movement said a gun was fired and Machado was thrown from the motorcycle she was leaving the event on. They then held her down and forced her to record several videos, it is alleged.
“Now I’m in a safe place and more determined than ever to continue with you to the end!” Machado – who is barred from running for office – said in a post on X after she was released.
The government mocked the incident and denied any involvement, saying the opposition had orchestrated it to win support for Machado.
REPRESSION AND SANCTIONS
The opposition, non-governmental organizations and international bodies such as the United Nations have for years condemned the increasing repression against opposition political parties, activists and independent media in Venezuela.
The newly elected US President Donald Trump said that the country is run by a dictator.
Meanwhile, the government has repeatedly accused the opposition of conspiring with foreign governments and agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency, to commit acts of sabotage and terrorism.
The government said this week it had arrested seven “mercenaries,” including a high-ranking FBI official and a US military official.
Venezuela’s economy has experienced a protracted crisis marked by triple-digit inflation and an exodus of more than 7 million migrants seeking better opportunities abroad.
Many of Machado’s supporters, including retired Venezuelans who would like to see their children and grandchildren return to the country, say jobs, inflation and unreliable public services are among their top concerns.
The government, meanwhile, has used orthodox methods to try to reduce inflation, with some success, and has blamed the economic collapse on sanctions by the United States and others, particularly restrictions on the nation’s key oil industry.
Maduro and his allies have hailed what they say is the country’s resilience despite the measures, with Maduro saying this month that the economy grew 9 percent last year.
His first act in his new term will be to call for constitutional reform, Maduro said Wednesday, though he did not provide details.
About 2,000 people, including teenagers, were arrested in the post-election protests. The government announced this week that it had released 1,515 of them.
Gonzalez, 75, said his son-in-law was abducted on Tuesday while he was taking his children to school.
