Official announcements from Venezuelan authorities or major news outlets

Venezuela Deploys 1,200 Troops for Maduro's Inauguration Amid Dispute, $100,000 Reward for Opposition Leader

Jan 4, 2025, 12:18 PM

Venezuela is deploying 1,200 military personnel across the country to ensure peace and security ahead of the presidential inauguration scheduled for January 10, 2025. This deployment is in response to the upcoming swearing-in of President Nicolás Maduro, who has been proclaimed the winner of the July 28 elections by the National Electoral Council (CNE). However, the opposition, grouped under the Plataforma Unitaria Democrática (PUD), has denounced the election results as fraudulent and claims that their candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, won the presidency. González Urrutia, who has been in exile in Spain since September, plans to return to Venezuela for the inauguration and has called on citizens to uphold the electoral mandate. Amidst these tensions, the Venezuelan police have offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to González Urrutia's capture, accusing him of various crimes including conspiracy and complicity in violent acts against the state.