Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Is Sworn In Despite Credible Evidence Of Election Loss | rssama.com

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — President Nicolás Maduro extended his increasingly repressive rule complete Venezuela until 2031 erstwhile he was sworn successful Friday, contempt reliable grounds that his force won nan latest predetermination and pursuing protests against his scheme to service a 3rd six-year term.

Venezuela’s legislative palace, wherever Maduro was sworn in, was heavy guarded by police, subject and intelligence officers. Crowds of people, galore sporting pro-Maduro T-shirts, gathered successful adjacent streets and a adjacent plaza.

On Thursday, arsenic hundreds of anti-Maduro protesters took to nan streets of nan capital, Caracas, aides to guidance leader María Corina Machado said she was briefly detained by information forces and coerced into signaling videos.

The celebrated erstwhile lawmaker, whom nan authorities has barred from moving for office, had emerged from months of hiding to subordinate nan rally to request that opposition campaigner Edmundo González beryllium sworn successful arsenic president alternatively of Maduro.

Venezuelan guidance leader Maria Corina Machado addresses supporters astatine a protestation against President Nicolas Maduro successful Caracas, Venezuela, connected Jan. 9, 2025, a time up of Maduro's inauguration ceremony.

Ariana Cubillos via Associated Press

Machado addressed nan rally past near connected a motorcycle pinch her information convoy. Machado’s property squad later announced connected societal media that information forces “violently intercepted” her convoy. Her aides past confirmed to The Associated Press that nan guidance hardliner had been detained.

Leaders successful nan Americas and Europe condemned nan authorities for suppressing guidance voices and demanded her release. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump expressed his support for Machado and González.

“These state fighters should not beryllium harmed, and MUST enactment SAFE and ALIVE!” Trump said connected Truth Social.

Maduro’s supporters denied that Machado was arrested, saying authorities opponents were spreading clone news to make an world crisis.

The brouhaha up of Maduro’s inauguration adds to nan litany of allegations of electoral fraud and sadistic repression to soundlessness dissent.

Electoral authorities loyal to nan ruling statement declared Maduro nan winner hours aft polls closed connected July 28, but dissimilar successful erstwhile statesmanlike elections, they did not supply elaborate ballot counts. The opposition, meanwhile, collected tally sheets from much than 80% of physics voting machines, posted them online and said nan tallies show González won doubly arsenic galore votes arsenic Maduro.

Global condemnation complete nan lack of transparency prompted Maduro to inquire nan country’s precocious tribunal — besides filled pinch friends of his United Socialist Party of Venezuela — to audit nan predetermination results. The tribunal reaffirmed Maduro’s victory without providing thorough grounds and encouraged nan electoral assembly to merchandise nan ballot counts. But neither nan assembly nor nan ruling statement produced immoderate grounds that Maduro had won, moreover though their voting halfway representatives besides were entitled to tally sheets from each voting machine.

The U.S.-based Carter Center, which observed nan predetermination connected nan government’s invitation, declared nan opposition-published tallies legitimate. Other predetermination experts that nan authorities allowed to witnesser nan ballot said polling records published online by nan guidance faction look to grounds each of nan original information features.

The conflict complete nan results prompted international outrage and nationwide protests. The government responded pinch afloat force, arresting much than 2,000 demonstrators and encouraging Venezuelans to study anyone they fishy to beryllium a ruling-party adversary. More than 20 group were killed during nan unrest and galore protesters reported being tortured successful custody.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro, a adjacent Maduro ally, said he would skip nan arena citing nan detentions earlier successful nan week of different longtime Venezuelan guidance personnel and a quality authorities defender.

Maduro’s past inauguration, successful 2019, was attended by Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel and then-Bolivian President Evo Morales. The 2018 predetermination was wide considered a sham aft his authorities banned awesome guidance parties from participating.

And it remains unclear if González, who near for exile successful Spain successful September, will fulfill his committedness to return to Venezuela by Friday.

Government officials person many times threatened González pinch arrest should he measurement connected Venezuelan soil. On Tuesday, González said his son-in-law Rafael Tudares had been kidnapped successful Caracas. González’s daughter, Mariana González de Tudares, suggested successful a connection that nan authorities was down her husband’s disappearance.

“At what constituent did being related to Edmundo González Urrutia go a crime?” she said.