Maduro sworn in for third presidential term despite losing election (includes video story)

People in Venezuela protested this past weekend after Nicolás Maduro declared himself president for a third term despite losing the election by nearly 40 points to opposition leader Gonzalo Urrutia in 2024.

Urrutia had hoped to be sworn in as Venezuela’s constitutional president last Friday. However, after touring democratic nations, he was unable to leave the Dominican Republic because the Maduro regime closed Venezuela’s borders and restricted its airspace.

The United States, Panama and the Dominican Republic hosted Urrutia during his international tour. On Jan. 9, opposition leader María Corina Machado called for street demonstrations in support of Urrutia. Machado appeared at the protests, her first public sighting in months after hiding from the regime.

Upon leaving the protest, Machado was reportedly detained by regime forces and coerced into recording videos. She was released shortly after, according to her team.

These actions prompted the United States to increase the bounties for Maduro, Diosdado Cabello and Vladimir Padrino López, key figures of the regime, from $15 million to $25 million. Other democracies announced additional sanctions.

Dr. Erich de la Fuente, an international relations and crisis management professor at Florida International University, explained the broader implications of Maduro’s proclamation.

“If, in the region, people do not rally around, you know, at least non-authoritarian figures, it doesn’t matter if you’re left-wing or right-wing, as long as you’re democratic,” said de la Fuente. “That doesn’t matter in terms of holding the system. But if you do that, then if tomorrow, people say, ‘Hey, these people survived, again,’ this is the importance of what I try to say. It matters.”

“These regimes are not very strong. And Maduro himself is not a strong leader,” de la Fuente continued. “This is what we see that we watch on Padrino, Diosdado, Cabello. These players are just as important, I would argue, more important than Maduro himself.”

In response to Maduro’s actions, Machado addressed Venezuelans, urging them to remain hopeful.

“Today, January 10, Maduro consolidated a coup d’état against Venezuelans and the world. They decided to cross the red line that makes this an official violation of the Constitution,” she said. “Today, Maduro did not put the presidential band on his chest; he put it on his ankle like a shackle that would tighten more every day.”

Foro Penal, a Venezuelan human rights organization, reported that over 42 people, including human rights activists and journalists, have been detained for political reasons since Tuesday. De la Fuente emphasized the critical role of public demonstrations in such situations.

“Any regime that has pressure on the streets, it’s important,” de la Fuente said. “But at the end of the day, the weapons lie in the military. The weapons lie in the intelligence services.”

With Maduro’s confirmation as a dictator, the Biden administration renewed Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans in the United States, allowing them to stay legally for 18 more months. This development brings relief to many Venezuelans in the U.S

Grecia Pacheco is a senior majoring in digital journalism. Appassionate with the truth and the news reporting, her career pathway is orientated to politics and international relations based on her goal to keep people informed about the importance of democracy and its impact on modern society.