The United States announced a reward of 25 million dollars for anyone who provides information useful for the arrest or conviction of Nicolás Maduropresident of Venezuela. John Kirby, spokesman for the US National Security Council, said this during a press briefing.
Nicolás Maduro Swears in Third Term
Nicolás Maduro took the oath of office for his third presidential termwhich will see him in power until 2031. The ceremony took place at the headquarters ofNational Assembly of Caracas, in the presence of Jorge Rodriguez, president of the assembly.
Maduro has promised to respect the Venezuelan Constitution and described his new mandate as a period of «peace, prosperity and new democracy». The leader was sworn in on a copy of the Constitution signed by Hugo Chavezfounder of the Bolivarian revolution, and received the presidential sash amid tight security measures.
The opposition’s protest
The Venezuelan opposition, represented by the coalition Unitary platformcalled Maduro’s inauguration a «coup d’état». In a statement published on social media, the opposition accused Maduro of having usurped powerignoring the results of the presidential elections in July, which would have seen the victory of the candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia.
“Venezuela cannot be colonized or dominated,” Maduro replied, maintaining that his government represents popular sovereignty and not the interests of foreign powers. He also emphasized the role of the Constitution as the foundation of his authority.
Maduro attacks the United States and its allies
During his inauguration speech, Maduro harshly criticized the United States and the governments which, in his opinion, have “bow to imperialism». He mentioned Canada and Panama as examples of nations that would suffer negative consequences for having tightened «pacts with the devil».
“The power I represent was given to me by the Constitution and the people, not by foreign governments,” Maduro declared, defending his mandate as an expression of Venezuelan sovereignty.
While Maduro’s government consolidates its power, Venezuela continues to experience a profound political, economic and social crisis. The announcement of the US reward increases international pressure on the president, but it remains to be seen whether this will have a concrete impact on the country’s internal situation.