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Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro has been sworn in for a third presidential term despite the protests of the country’s opposition movement, and non-acknowledgement by Western powers.
The ceremony occurred on Friday, January 10 in a small room of the National Assembly, a marked difference from previous ceremonies held in the building’s main hall.
Maduro was sworn in by National Assembly leader Jorge Rodríguez, who placed the presidential sash on him, prompting thunderous applause from those in attendance.
“We’ve achieved what we knew we would achieve,” Maduro said during his first speech after being sworn in.
“The power given to me was not given by a foreign government, a foreign president or a gringo government,” Maduro said at the event, which saw Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and Cuba’s Miguel Diaz-Canel in attendance.
“No one in this world can impose a president in Venezuela.”
China and Russia also sent representatives, with Russia’s State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin seen arriving late on a state media broadcast after the ceremony began ahead of schedule.
Former Bolivian President Evo Morales expressed support for Maduro, writing on X that his nation “salutes the Venezuelan people who once again defeated attempts to destabilize their government.”
Maduro was proclaimed winner of the country’s presidential election on July 28, by electoral authorities under the tight control of the ruling Socialist Party but Venezuela’s opposition has published thousands of voting tallies claiming that their candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, had actually won the vote with 67% against Maduro’s 30%.
On a call previewing the announcement, the official told reporters that Maduro, “stands mostly alone at this juncture, with few friends in the region and the world,” noting calls from countries throughout the region and across the globe “since July 28th to call on Maduro to respect democratic norms.”
The United Kingdom on Friday sanctioned 15 people associated with Maduro and what it called his “contested regime,” including leaders from Venezuela’s Armed Forces and members of the Supreme Justice Tribunal.
The European Union also issued sanctions against 15 people affiliated with Maduro, who have been accused of “undermining democracy, rule of law or human rights in Venezuela.” And Canada sanctioned 14 current and former senior officials who it said engaged in activities that “supported human rights violations” in the country.
Maduro did not name any of Venezuela’s opposition leaders in his speech but referred to the movement currently led by Maria Corina Machado and Edmundo Gonzalez as “Guaidó 2.0” — a reference to Juan Guaidó, who in 2019 proclaimed himself interim president of Venezuela and was recognized by 50 countries, including the US.
“A Guaidó 2.0 talks to the people in the streets, a new Guaidó, and comes with the same baggage, we saw it, we saw their plans, we saw them yesterday,” Maduro said, apparently referring to an opposition rally attended by Machado on Thursday.
Guaidó himself condemned the inauguration, writing on X that “the president of Venezuela is Edmundo González Urrutia.”
“Maduro only confirms his usurpation and the coup d’état they carried out on July 28,” Guaidó added.
Venezuelan opposition coalition Plataforma de la Unidad Democrática echoed Guaidó’s remarks, saying, “A new phase begins today in this fight for the freedom of Venezuela throughout the national territory and in all sectors that form our nation.”