Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whose nearly 12 years in power have been marred by deep economic and social crisis, was sworn in for a third term on Friday, despite a six-month-long electoral dispute that has sidelined him internationally. It was demanded. An increase in the U.S. reward offered for his capture.

Maduro, president since 2013, was declared the winner of the July election by both Venezuela’s electoral authority and the Supreme Court, although detailed numbers confirming his victory were never published.

Venezuela’s opposition says its former candidate, Edmundo González, has won by a landslide, according to ballot box tallies. Many countries, including the United States, have recognized him as the president. International election observers said the vote was not democratic.

The months following the election saw González’s flight to Spain in September, his ally María Corina Machado go into hiding in Venezuela, and the detention of senior opposition figures and protesters.

In the latest in a series of punitive measures, the outgoing Biden administration increased its reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Maduro on drug-trafficking charges to $25 million, up from the previous $15 million. went

It also issued new sanctions against eight other officials, including the head of state oil company PDVSA Hector Obregón, along with a $25 million reward for Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and a $15 million reward for Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino.

The United States indicted Maduro and others in 2020 on drug and corruption charges. Maduro has denied the allegations.

The U.S. move coincides with sanctions by Britain and the European Union, which each target 15 officials, including members of the National Electoral Council and security forces, and Canadian sanctions targeting 14 current and former officials. are

The Maduro government has always rejected all sanctions, saying they are illegal measures that amount to “economic warfare” designed to cripple Venezuela.

“The outgoing US government does not know how to take revenge on us,” Maduro said during his opening speech, without directly mentioning the sanctions.

Venezuela’s communications ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the sanctions.

Maduro and his allies have cheered what they say is the country’s resilience despite the measures, though they have historically blamed some of the economic difficulties and lack of sanctions.

Opposition to speaking

Gonzalez, who is on a trip to the United States this week, has said he will return to Venezuela to take over as president, but has not given details.

The government, which the opposition has accused of fomenting fascist plots against him, has said Gonzalez will be arrested if he returns and is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.

Opposition leaders Gonzalez and Machado are expected to speak later on Friday.

Both are being investigated by the attorney general’s office for alleged conspiracy, but only Gonzalez has a public warrant for his arrest.

Machado’s first public appearance since August at an anti-government march in Caracas on Thursday was marred by a brief detention.

Guns were fired and Machado was thrown from the motorcycle she was leaving the event on, her Vanity Venezuela political movement said. He was then arrested and forced to make several videos, it said.

A video shared on social media and by government officials shows her sitting on a curb and counting the loss of her wallet.

The government scoffed at the incident and denied any involvement.

The judicial non-governmental organization Foro Penal said around 42 people had been detained for political reasons since Tuesday.

Maduro was sworn in at the National Assembly in Caracas and said he was taking the oath in the name of the 16th-century indigenous leader Guayquiporo and the late President Hugo Chavez, who was his mentor and others.

“May this new presidency be an era of peace, prosperity, equality and a new democracy,” Maduro said, adding that he would convene a commission dedicated to constitutional reform.

“This process is possible because Venezuela is peaceful, in full exercise of its national sovereignty, its people’s sovereignty, its national independence,” Maduro said.

About 2,000 invitees from 125 countries attended the opening ceremony, according to the government.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega were joined by a staunch Maduro ally, Russian lower house speaker Vyacheslav Volodin.

Economic problems

Venezuela has closed its borders and airspace to Colombia for 72 hours starting at 0500 local time (1000 GMT), the foreign ministry in Bogota said in a statement.

The opposition, non-governmental organizations and international bodies such as the United Nations have for years condemned the growing repression of opposition political parties, activists and independent media in Venezuela.

The newly elected President of the United States, Donald Trump, has said that the country is being run by a dictator.

Meanwhile, the government has repeatedly accused the opposition of colluding with foreign governments and agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency, to commit acts of sabotage and terrorism.

The government said this week that it had detained seven “mercenaries,” including a high-ranking FBI official and a US military official.

Venezuela’s economy has faced a protracted crisis marked by triple-digit inflation and more than 7 million migrants seeking better opportunities abroad.

Many of Machado’s supporters, among them retired Venezuelans who want to see their children and grandchildren return to the country, say jobs, inflation and unreliable public services are among their top concerns.

Meanwhile, the government has used orthodox methods to try to reduce inflation, with some success. Maduro said this month that the economy grew by 9 percent last year.

Around 2,000 people were arrested in the post-election protests. The government said it had released 1,515 of them this week.

Gonzalez, 75, said his son-in-law was abducted on Tuesday while he was taking his children to school.

(Other than the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro (T) Venezuela President Fazal (T) Venezuela Maduro swearing in



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