President Nicolás Maduro took office this Friday, January 10 in Caracas. Addressing senior government officials, and delegates from over 120 countries, he vowed to uphold democracy in the Caribbean nation.
“I inaugurate this new period of peace, prosperity, and new democracy,” stated the President.
The inauguration not only marks the continuity of the Bolivarian Revolution, but also reflects the commitment of the Venezuelan people to the construction of a socialist model in resistance to US imperialist aggression.
Interference from the US-backed opposition
The Venezuelan far-right opposition, backed by the United States and its allies, has been trying to prevent Maduro’s inauguration. The defeated candidate Edmundo González declared himself the winner and announced that he would take office as president on the 10th.
Around the same time that he was sworn in, the US announced a USD 25million reward for the arrest of Maduro, as well as a host of new sanctions against different government officials.
Maduro won the Venezuelan elections on July 28 with 51.95% of the votes, triumphing over far-right opposition candidate Edmundo González, who gained 43.18%. After the elections, the opposition refused to recognize the results. Right-wing mobs carried out violence across the country, burning health centers, statues, and campaign offices of Chavismo.
Since the violence in July, González and right-wing forces across Europe and the Americas have maintained that González is the rightful victor. Most recently, Gonzáles called on the Armed Forces to rise up against Maduro–a call which was promptly and publicly rejected by military leaders.
On January 7, Nicolás Maduro publicly denounced a planned terrorist attack on Venezuela, explaining that the foreign mercenaries allegedly behind the plot had been detained.
Venezuelan democracy emerges victorious
During his inaugural address, President Maduro commended the Venezuelan people for standing strong against these attacks, as well as the barrage of corporate-funded media that tried to transform the Venezuelan election into a global debate.
“No one imposes a president in Venezuela,” the Bolivarian leader declared in his inaugural address.
“They could not, and will not be able to install a Guaidó 2.0.”
Maduro described how the last six years symbolize the fight against imperialism and the 500-year long struggle of the national territory against all forms of domination. The president has pledged to keep building socialism in Venezuela, deepening the Bolivarian Revolution, and continuing the legacy of Commander Hugo Chavez Frias.
