After his re-election was overshadowed by allegations of massive manipulation, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was sworn in for a third term on Friday.
The ceremony took place amid massive opposition protests. They demonstrated against Maduro across the country with slogans such as ‘Glory to the brave people’ and ‘Freedom, freedom’. Opposition leader María Corina Machado was enthusiastically celebrated during her first appearance in months.
After the meeting, she said she was briefly kidnapped and later released. Maduro was not impressed and was sworn in on Friday for a new term until 2031. His opponent and opposition candidate Edmundo González also announced that he would return to his homeland and would also be sworn in as president of the South American country. However, there is an arrest warrant for him in Venezuela.
After the presidential elections in July, González claimed victory. The US and several Latin American countries recognize him as the winner of the elections. US President-elect Donald Trump also called González the “president-elect”. However, the loyal electoral authority declared Maduro, who has been in power for almost twelve years, the election winner.
Border with Colombia closed
The opposition had called for mass protests before the inauguration. At the same time, the government mobilized a large number of security forces in Caracas. Authorities also closed the border with neighboring Colombia, where hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans have fled.
“We have information about an international conspiracy to disrupt the peace of Venezuelans,” Táchira state governor Freddy Bernal said on Friday. On instructions from Maduro, the border was ordered closed until Monday morning.
Opposition leader “in a safe place”
Opposition leader María Corina Machado left her shelter for the first time in months on Thursday and joined the protests she called against Maduro’s swearing-in. “I am here, with you, and until the end,” the 57-year-old shouted at protesters from the roof of a truck during the rally.
After her speech, the opposition leader got on a motorcycle. Hundreds of supporters ran with her to guard her and prevent her arrest by government officials, El Nacional newspaper reported. Shortly afterwards, her team reported that she had been intercepted. There was also shooting.
Just hours after the event, Machado addressed the crowd through
Interior Minister Cabello denies the incident
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello denied that Machado had been briefly arrested. Her plan was to claim she had been captured to provoke a response from the international community. “A fabrication, a lie,” Cabello said.
The government was also mobilized on the streets. Maduro’s supporters blocked paths with motorcycles and tried to push back opposition supporters, El Nacional reported.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
