President Nicolás Maduro is set to extend his rule over Venezuela until 2031, as he prepares to be sworn in on Friday, January 10.
This move comes despite credible evidence suggesting that his opponent, Edmundo González, won the latest election. Protests have erupted against Maduro’s plan to serve a third six-year term, highlighting the growing dissent within the nation.
On Thursday, Caracas saw hundreds of anti-Maduro protesters take to the streets. María Corina Machado, a popular opposition leader and former lawmaker barred from running for office, was briefly detained by security forces. Her aides confirmed that she was coerced into recording videos. Machado had recently come out of hiding to demand that González be sworn in as president instead of Maduro.
Machado addressed the rally before leaving on a motorcycle with her security convoy. Later, her press team announced on social media that security forces had “violently intercepted” her convoy. Machado’s detention was confirmed by her aides, sparking further outrage.
International leaders have condemned the Venezuelan government for its actions. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump voiced his support for Machado and González, urging on social media: “These freedom fighters should not be harmed, and MUST stay SAFE and ALIVE!”
Maduro’s supporters, however, denied that Machado was arrested, accusing government opponents of spreading false information to provoke an international crisis.
The upcoming inauguration adds to a series of allegations against Maduro’s regime, including electoral fraud and the suppression of dissent. Electoral authorities, loyal to the ruling party, declared Maduro the winner shortly after polls closed on July 28. Unlike previous elections, they did not provide detailed vote counts.
In response, the opposition released tally sheets from over 80% of electronic voting machines, showing González had won twice as many votes as Maduro.
The U.S.-based Carter Center, invited by the government to observe the election, validated the opposition’s published tallies. Despite this, Venezuela’s high court, filled with Maduro’s allies, reaffirmed his victory without substantial evidence, prompting further criticism.
Nationwide Protests and Arrests
The disputed election results have led to widespread protests and international condemnation. The government’s response has been severe, with more than 2,000 demonstrators arrested and over 20 fatalities reported during the unrest. Allegations of torture have surfaced from many of those detained.
The National Assembly, controlled by the ruling party, is set to host the inauguration at the legislative palace in Caracas. However, it remains uncertain whether any heads of state will attend. Colombian President Gustavo Petro, a close ally of Maduro, announced he would skip the event, citing recent detentions of opposition figures.
Maduro’s previous inauguration in 2019 saw attendance from leaders like Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel and then-Bolivian President Evo Morales. The 2018 election had already drawn international criticism, being widely deemed a sham after major opposition parties were banned from participating.
González, who went into exile in Spain in September, has pledged to return to Venezuela by Friday. However, the government has repeatedly threatened him with arrest upon his return. In a recent development, González’s son-in-law, Rafael Tudares, was reportedly kidnapped in Caracas. González’s daughter, Mariana González de Tudares, accused the government of involvement, questioning, “At what point did being related to Edmundo González Urrutia become a crime?”
As Maduro prepares to begin another term, Venezuela faces intensified internal and external pressures. The government’s handling of dissent and the unresolved election controversy will continue to be focal points in the international community’s scrutiny of Maduro’s leadership.
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