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Maduro Sworn In for Third Term Until 2031 Amid Fraud Claims and U.S. Reward Increase

Jan 10, 2025, 03:17 PM

Nicolás Maduro was sworn in for a third term as President of Venezuela on Friday, amid accusations of electoral fraud and international condemnation. The inauguration ceremony took place at the National Assembly in Caracas, where the president of the assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, imposed the presidential sash on Maduro at 10:53 a.m. local time. Despite not presenting the voting records to validate his victory in the July 28, 2024, election, Maduro signed the act sealing his mandate for the 2025–2031 period. Opposition leader Edmundo González claims to have won the election and has denounced the results as fraudulent. The United States, European Union, United Kingdom, and several other countries have refused to recognize Maduro's new term, with the U.S. increasing a reward for his arrest. In his speech, Maduro declared that Venezuela is at peace, promised that his new term would be a period of peace, equality, and democracy, and accused Argentine President Javier Milei of attempting to impose a leader in Venezuela. Few international leaders attended the ceremony, with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel among them.