Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro Seized Third Term Amid Disputed Election Results and International Outcry

Nicolas Maduro was sworn in for a third six-year term as Venezuela's president, despite widespread opposition protests and allegations of election rigging. His inauguration took place in the National Assembly following the July 28 election. Maduro promised a term of "peace, prosperity, equality, and new democracy," but critics accused him of repression, citing detentions of opposition leaders and journalists, including Maria Corina Machado and photojournalist Jesus Medina Ezaine. Protests erupted across Venezuela, with international criticism, including from Colombia, condemning the harassment of opposition figures.