CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s inauguration on Saturday left his opponents grappling with conflicting emotions of hope and disappointment. Despite credible evidence suggesting he had lost the election the previous year, many wondered why the self-described socialist leader could not be stopped. Some described their feelings post-Friday’s ceremony at the legislative palace in Caracas as akin to an emotional hangover, while others felt abandoned.
Cautious optimism was present among many, finding solace in social media videos released by opposition leaders María Corina Machado and Edmundo González, who had vowed to overthrow Maduro. College professor Nelson Perez expressed, “In the end, it feels as if the soup got cold. We’ve been holding onto hope for some time… But then you realize it’s more of the same.”
This realization was difficult for millions of Venezuelans who had envisioned a different Jan. 10, with González assuming the presidential sash and Machado delivering one of her impassioned speeches before the National Assembly. Instead, González and Machado took to social media while Maduro, defying overwhelming evidence challenging his victory claim in the July election, was sworn in by placing his hand on Venezuela’s constitution.
Drawing parallels to a biblical David facing Goliath, Maduro accused his opponents and their U.S. supporters of attempting to trigger a “world war” during his inauguration. He deemed his unimpeded inauguration for a third term as a “great victory” for Venezuela’s peace and national sovereignty, underscoring that his authority emanated from the people and history, not foreign governments.
The National Electoral Council, dominated by government loyalists, had declared Maduro the winner of the July 28 election without disclosing detailed vote counts, unlike in previous elections. The opposition, however, shared tally sheets from 85% of electronic voting machines online, revealing González’s substantial victory by a more than two-to-one margin. U.N. experts and the U.S.-based Carter Center, both invited by Maduro’s administration to oversee the election, confirmed the legitimacy of the opposition’s tally sheets.
Machado accused Maduro of a coup for failing to relinquish power by the constitutional deadline of Jan. 10, the start of Venezuela’s presidential term. While expressing confidence in the imminent realization of the country’s freedom, she refrained from outlining specific actions the opposition might take to oust Maduro.
During an anti-Maduro protest in Caracas, Machado, a key figure in Venezuela’s ailing opposition who had been barred from running for office, emerged from hiding. She disclosed that security forces briefly detained her after the rally, an assertion promptly dismissed by the government.
Thursday’s rally drew significantly smaller crowds compared to the massive demonstrations led by Machado and González during the election campaign. This decline in attendance was primarily attributed to the prevalent fears regarding the government’s forceful suppression of dissent. The aftermath of the election witnessed over 2,000 individuals being apprehended during civil unrest that ensued. Luis Carlos Moreno, a 55-year-old bricklayer, astutely remarked on the subdued atmosphere amongst those who abstained from attending the inauguration ceremony: “You see people, and they look like they have a hangover. We have to wait until next week to see how things go and if … everyone goes to work and the kids go to school.”
Contrary to the muted sentiments among some segments of the population, Maduro’s supporters in the vicinity of the legislative palace exuded jubilation, with some being visibly moved to tears of elation. The official State TV broadcast reported the presence of 10 heads of state at the ceremony, yet a considerable number of governments globally have refuted Maduro’s assertion of victory, citing substantial evidence corroborated by election monitors.
Highlighting Maduro’s escalating isolation on the international stage, the United States, Canada, Britain, and the European Union jointly announced fresh sanctions on over 20 Venezuelan officials on Friday. These sanctions were imposed on various individuals, including Supreme Court justices, electoral authorities, the chief executive of Venezuela’s state oil company, and members of the Cabinet, all accused of undermining the democratic fabric of the nation.
Meanwhile, González, who departed for Spain in September to evade potential arrest, found himself in the Dominican Republic, which was slated as the final destination on his tour of the Americas before embarking on a prospective return to Venezuela for his swearing-in. In a video message to his supporters, González expressed his conviction that Maduro’s reign would terminate imminently, reiterating his unwavering pledge to re-enter Venezuela. “I am prepared for a secure reentry at the opportune moment,” he affirmed.
The looming prospect of Maduro’s extended tenure of six more years weighed heavily on poll workers, a significant number of whom faced harassment or detention subsequent to the election. Marlyn Ruiz, a resident of Caracas and a poll worker, candidly shared her disillusionment: “I’m very disappointed. Reality is not as we were led to believe.”
