Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was sworn in for a third consecutive term, although his re-election was contested by the opposition, which declared victory for its candidate, world agencies reported, quoted by BTA.
“I swear that this new presidential term will be (a term) of peace, prosperity, equality and new democracy“, Maduro said today to the President of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodriguez.
Maduro arrived at the National Assembly this morning, passing through a column of soldiers in full dress before entering the building, where he shook hands for a long time with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel – one of the few heads of state present.
The swearing-in ceremony was attended by most of the leading figures in the Venezuelan government, including Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, as well as key figures in the post-election crackdown.
The National Assembly was surrounded by security forces and law enforcement.
At dawn today, Venezuelan authorities closed the border with Colombia, citing an “international conspiracy to disrupt the peace in Colombia.”
The announcement came a day after opposition demonstrations that challenged the 62-year-old president’s victory in the July 28 election.
Opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez declared himself the winner. He repeated this statement yesterday during his visit to the Dominican Republic, located just an hour by plane from Caracas.
Thousands of people joined the opposition demonstrations, chanting "We are not afraid."
At the end of the day, confusion arose after the opposition announced the "violent" arrest of its leader, Maria Corina Machado. A few minutes later, her team announced that she had been released.
The political crisis in Venezuela deepened over the summer after the electoral commission, loyal to the ruling party, declared Maduro the winner of the presidential election on July 28, but unlike other previous elections, did not release the vote count protocols.
Meanwhile, the opposition managed to collect the receipts from more than 80% of the voting machines and published them online, indicating that its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, won the election with twice as many votes as Maduro.