Maduro takes over the presidency of Venezuela again without having presented the electoral records

President Nicolás Maduro extend his authoritarian rule in Venezuela until 2031 when he takes office for a third term on Friday despite having yet to show the electoral records that supposedly prove his victory in last July's elections.

The opposition, meanwhile, compiled tallies from more than 80 per cent of the electronic voting machines, publishing the results and claiming that the recounts indicate that Edmundo González Urrutia won twice as many votes as Maduro. 

The Venezuelan opposition accuses Maduro of ‘stealing’ the 28 July elections and claims victory for González Urrutia, who went into exile in Spain last September. Although the Venezuelan authorities have repeatedly threatened him with arrest if he sets foot on Venezuelan soil, the politician has promised to return.


Before Maduro's inauguration, hundreds of anti-regime protesters demonstrated chanting ‘we are not afraid’, including opposition leader María Corina Machado, who was briefly detained by security forces.

Maduro's supporters denied that Machado was arrested, accusing government opponents of spreading fake news to generate an international crisis. However, Machado's press team announced on social media that security forces had ‘violently intercepted’ her convoy after the demonstration ended.

Europe and America condemned the Venezuelan government for repressing the voices of the opposition and demanded her release. In this regard, US President-elect Donald Trump expressed his support for Machado and González, whom he described as ‘freedom fighters’.


The chaos leading up to Maduro's inauguration adds to a long list of accusations of electoral fraud and brutal repression aimed at silencing dissent. 


The dispute over the results generated international outrage and sparked protests across Venezuela. In response, the government stepped up repression, arresting more than 2,000 protesters. It also called on citizens to denounce those suspected of being opponents of the regime. The unrest left more than 20 people dead, and numerous protesters reported being subjected to torture while in detention. 

Not many international leaders are expected at Maduro's inauguration. His last inauguration, in 2019, was attended by Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel and then Bolivian president Evo Morales. The 2018 elections were also considered a sham after Caracas banned the main opposition parties from participating.

Meanwhile, the outlook in Venezuela remains extremely grave. The political, economic and social crisis affecting the Latin American nation is one of the deepest in the region. Runaway inflation, shortages of basic goods, blackouts and lack of public services are just some of the symptoms of a system that has collapsed under the policies of Chavismo. The labour market is also devastated, and millions of Venezuelans have been forced to leave the country in search of better living conditions.