Sat Jan 11 19:45:00 UTC 2025: ## Maduro Sworn In Amidst International Condemnation

**Caracas, Venezuela –** Nicolas Maduro has been sworn in for a third term as President of Venezuela, sparking widespread international condemnation. Only Cuba and Nicaragua sent representatives to the inauguration, a stark contrast to 2019 when nearly 40 countries refused to recognize his second term.

The 2024 election, which Maduro won with 51.95% of the vote according to the National Election Council (CNE), has been widely disputed. The opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, claims to have secured 67% of the vote based on tally sheets from 83% of polling stations. The CNE’s refusal to release full, detailed election results, coupled with reports of intimidation tactics, has fueled accusations of electoral fraud. The UN criticized the CNE for declaring Maduro the winner before releasing the data.

The election results are viewed in the context of Venezuela’s severe economic crisis, marked by hyperinflation, poverty, and food shortages, which led to an estimated 7.7 million Venezuelans fleeing the country. Leftist leaders across Latin America, including those in Brazil, Colombia, and Chile, have explicitly rejected Maduro’s “victory,” with Chilean President Gabriel Boric calling Maduro’s government a dictatorship. Brazil’s Lula da Silva even vetoed Venezuela’s entry into BRICS due to lack of transparency in the election results.

Critics blame the economic collapse on a combination of factors including the country’s over-reliance on oil exports, the impact of US and EU sanctions, and Maduro’s increasingly authoritarian rule. While some sanctions were eased temporarily in 2023 following an agreement between Maduro and the opposition, they were reinstated in 2024, further exacerbating the situation. The US has also announced a $65 million bounty for Maduro’s arrest.

Maduro’s administration, initially characterized by grassroots mobilization and participation, has transitioned into an authoritarian regime, with a new law proposing harsh punishments for dissent. With the return of Donald Trump to the US presidency, further escalation of hostilities is anticipated, potentially intensifying the crisis for the Venezuelan people.

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