Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was sworn in for a third term on January 10, in a ceremony that was marked by protests from opposition groups and rejection from Western nations.
The inauguration took place in a modest room of the National Assembly, a stark contrast to the grand celebrations of previous years.
Maduro was sworn in by National Assembly leader Jorge Rodríguez, who placed the presidential sash on him, sparking applause from attendees, which included allies like Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel.
In his first speech after the ceremony, Maduro dismissed international criticism, declaring, “The power given to me was not given by a foreign government, a foreign president or a gringo government.”
He further stated that no one could impose a president on Venezuela, emphasizing the country’s sovereignty.
Despite the ceremony, Maduro’s legitimacy is highly disputed. His victory in the July 2023 presidential election has been challenged by Venezuela’s opposition, which claims that their candidate, Edmundo González, won the election by a landslide.
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Maduro’s regime has been accused of electoral manipulation, and multiple nations have refused to recognize his presidency, with the United States and several European countries condemning his rule.
The United Kingdom imposed sanctions on 15 individuals associated with Maduro’s government, while the European Union and Canada took similar measures, citing human rights violations and the undermining of democracy.
In response, Maduro labeled the opposition movement, now led by María Corina Machado and Edmundo González, as “Guaidó 2.0,” referencing former opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who declared himself interim president in 2019 and was recognized by several Western nations.
Opposition figures, including Guaidó and the coalition Plataforma de la Unidad Democrática, rejected the inauguration and vowed to continue their struggle for a free Venezuela, describing Maduro’s third term as a “usurpation” of power.
