Venezuela's Maduro Sworn In for Third Term as Opposition Decries 'Coup d'etat'

Jan 10, 2025, 04:00 PM

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was sworn in before the National Assembly on Friday for a third six-year term, extending his rule until 2031 despite widespread protests and allegations of election fraud. Thousands took to the streets on the eve of the inauguration in Caracas, denouncing the July 28, 2024 election as fraudulent. Opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia and other critics accuse Maduro of refusing to release official election results and have labeled his inauguration a 'coup d'etat.' Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, faces increasing isolation as countries like the United States, European Union, and the United Kingdom have rejected the election outcome and imposed sanctions against his government. Despite international condemnation and domestic unrest, Maduro pledged that his new term will be a period of peace and democracy.