Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro sworn in for third term after disputed election

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro  has been sworn in for a third six-year term after a contentious election that saw his opponent Edmundo Gonzalez claim voter fraud and declare victory.

By starting a new term on Friday, Maduro is defying international pressure and sanctions led by the United States, which has recognised Gonzalez as the winner of the July vote.

“May this new presidential term be a period of peace, of prosperity, of equality and the new democracy,” Maduro said, pledging to comply with the laws of the country. “I swear on history, on my life, and I will fulfil my mandate.”

Maduro’s inauguration came a day after opposition leader Maria Corina Machado made a rare public appearance to lead a protest against his rule. Machado’s team said she was briefly detained during the demonstration.

“I am now in a safe place and with more determination than ever before to continue with you until the end,” Machado said in a social media post after her release.

Maduro, a former bus driver, rose to power after the death of left-wing leader Hugo Chavez in 2013. His tenure has been marred by accusations of authoritarianism as well as economic and political crises.

(Aljazeera)