A Defiant Coronation

Nicolás Maduro began his third term as Venezuela’s president over the weekend, despite widespread allegations of electoral fraud and mounting international condemnation and sanctions that have further deepened the country’s political, economic, and migration crises, the Washington Post reported.

On Friday, Maduro was sworn in even as the US, the United Kingdom, and the European Union imposed new sanctions, Reuters reported. The US also increased its reward by $10 million to $25 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Maduro on drug trafficking charges.

The US, meanwhile, also issued a $25 million reward for Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and a $15 million reward for Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López, as well as new sanctions against eight other officials including the head of state oil company PDVSA, Héctor Obregón Pérez.

The sanctions follow the inauguration that came after a disputed election this summer that saw Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE), dominated by Maduro loyalists, declare him the winner but without providing evidence.

Opposition candidate Edmundo González presented verified voting tallies showing he won with 67 percent of the vote over Maduro’s 30 percent. Independent observers, including the Carter Center, have confirmed the opposition’s findings.

Maduro’s controversial victory sparked demonstrations in the country, prompting the government to launch a crackdown that saw hundreds of protesters and opposition figures arrested.

Days before the inauguration, Venezuelan officials released 146 protesters, bringing the total number of prisoners freed to 1,515 ahead of Maduro’s inauguration. However, human rights groups estimate that at least 2,000 people were detained during post-election unrest and 23 protesters were killed.

On Thursday, opposition leader María Corina Machado was briefly detained after leading a protest in the capital Caracas, the Associated Press reported.

Meanwhile, González – who is currently in exile – has vowed to return to Venezuela to restore democracy.

In a video message on Friday, he described Maduro’s inauguration as a coup d’état, in which Madura was “crowning himself as dictator,” the Guardian noted.

The US, Canada, Argentina, and Peru have recognized González as the rightful president-elect.

Despite González’s claims and Western support, questions linger about whether the military – long a pillar of Maduro’s rule – might shift its support. At Maduro’s inauguration, army and police leaders reaffirmed their loyalty to the president, CNN wrote.

Analysts warned that Maduro’s contested presidency will heighten Venezuela’s isolation and repression, adding that his increasingly authoritarian tactics and the absence of reforms signal a bleak outlook for the country.

The oil-rich South American nation has been grappling with deep economic and social crises, including hyperinflation, food shortages, and the exodus of nearly eight million Venezuelans over the past decade. Observers cautioned that additional sanctions could further strain the collapsing economy.