Nicolas Maduro was sworn in for a third term as Venezuela’s president on Friday. Photo: Reuters
Nicolas Maduro was sworn in for a third term as Venezuela’s president on Friday, despite six months of electoral disputes, international calls for his resignation and a US bounty on his head. Maduro’s nearly 12-year rule has been marked by a deep economic and social crisis.
Nicolas Maduro has been president of Venezuela since 2013. The country’s electoral authorities and the Supreme Court declared him the winner of last July’s election. However, the full results confirming his victory have never been released.
Venezuela’s opposition said ballot box counts showed a landslide victory for Maduro’s opponent, Edmundo Gonzalez. Many countries, including the United States, have recognized him as the newly elected president. International election observers have said the election was not democratic.
The months since the election have seen the flight of Edmundo Gonzalez to Spain in September, the hiding of his ally Maria Karina Machado in Venezuela, and the arrest of key opposition figures, as well as protests.
Meanwhile, as part of a series of punitive measures, the outgoing Biden administration in the United States has increased the reward for information leading to the conviction or arrest of Nicolas Maduro on the latest drug trafficking charges from $15 million to $25 million. In addition, a reward of $25 million has been announced for Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and $15 million for Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino. In addition, the United States has imposed new sanctions on eight officials, including Hector Obregon, the head of state-owned oil company PDVSA.
Earlier in 2020, the United States indicted Maduro and others in his administration on drug and corruption charges. Maduro, however, has denied these charges. At the same time, the UK and the European Union imposed sanctions on 30 officials, 15 each, including members of the National Electoral Council and the security forces. Canada, on the other hand, imposed sanctions on 14 current and former officials.
Maduro’s government has consistently rejected the sanctions, calling them illegal measures that amount to “economic warfare” to cripple Venezuela.
In his inauguration speech, Nicolas Maduro did not directly refer to the sanctions, saying, “The outgoing US government does not know how to take revenge on us.”
Venezuela’s communications ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the sanctions.
Maduro and his allies have touted the country’s resilience despite the Western punitive measures, although they have blamed the sanctions for some of the economic problems and crises.
Meanwhile, opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez made a brief visit to the United States this week. He said he would return to Venezuela to take office as president. However, the politician did not provide any details on this matter.
Accusing the opposition of a fascist conspiracy, the current Venezuelan government has said that Edmundo Gonzalez will be arrested if he returns and has announced a reward of $100,000 for information leading to his arrest.
