Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was sworn in for a third six-year term on Friday, following a controversial election in which his opponent, Edmundo Gonzalez, accused him of voter fraud and declared himself the legitimate winner, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Maduro begins his new term despite international pressure and sanctions led by the US, which has recognised Gonzalez as the legitimate winner of the July election.
“May this new presidential term bring peace, prosperity, equality, and a new democracy,” Maduro stated during the swearing ceremony, affirming his commitment to uphold the country’s laws. “I swear on history, on my life, and I will fulfil my mandate,” he said as quoted by Al Jazeera.

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According to Al Jazeera, Maduro’s inauguration came a day after opposition leader Maria Corina Machado led a protest against his government. Machado’s team claimed she was briefly detained during the demonstration. After her release, Machado expressed on social media her continued resolve to challenge Maduro’s rule.

Maduro, who rose to power following left-wing leader Hugo Chavez’s death in 2013, has faced criticism for authoritarianism and for navigating Venezuela through economic and political crises. In 2018, he also faced a contested election, with key opposition figures barred from participating. After that election, opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself president, and several Western nations, including the US, recognised him as such, Al Jazeera reported.

Following Guaido’s claim, the US imposed additional sanctions on Venezuela, which deepened its economic struggles. Venezuela has seen nearly 7.7 million citizens flee the country, many citing political repression and economic instability as their reasons.
The July election gave the opposition hopes of peacefully unseating Maduro, but he quickly declared victory, claiming 51 per cent of the vote. Venezuelan electoral authorities sided with Maduro, though they did not provide the usual breakdown of voting results, which sparked criticism about transparency. The opposition released its own tally sheets, claiming Gonzalez won by a large margin.

As per Al Jazeera, some left-wing leaders in South America also questioned the election results, and protests broke out following the announcement of Maduro’s victory. However, a government crackdown resulted in 2,000 arrests and 25 deaths during the post-election demonstrations.

The opposition continued to pressure Maduro’s government, calling for protests in the days leading up to the inauguration. While a few hundred demonstrators joined Machado on Thursday, the turnout was smaller than in the post-election protests.
Maduro’s government accused the opposition of plotting with foreign powers to overthrow him and issued an arrest warrant for Gonzalez, who fled the country and sought asylum in Spain. Gonzalez, a former diplomat, visited the US earlier this week and met US President Joe Biden to discuss concerns about Maduro’s actions. The White House expressed deep concerns about Maduro’s repression of peaceful protests and democracy activists.

According to Al Jazeera, the US also referred to Gonzalez as Venezuela’s “president-elect” and condemned Maduro’s inauguration as a “desperate attempt to seize power.”
In response, the US raised its reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest from USD 15 million to USD 25 million. Additionally, the US Treasury imposed sanctions on eight of Maduro’s allies, including Hector Andres Obregon, the president of the state-owned oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela.