Former US President Donald Trump and the Biden administration have voiced strong opposition to Nicolás Maduro's contested third term as president of Venezuela. Maduro's inauguration on Friday was met with protests from opposition supporters who believe the July election was fraudulent. Opposition leader María Corina Machado briefly joined these protests in Caracas before being detained by security forces and later released.
Maduro's claim to victory lacks verifiable proof, leading to widespread condemnation. Trump called for the safety of Machado and opposition candidate Edmundo González, emphasizing the right of the Venezuelan people to express their will. The Biden administration also rejected Maduro's inauguration, stating that he clearly lost the 2024 election and has no right to the presidency. Secretary of State Antony Blinken affirmed support for Edmundo González Urrutia as the rightful president-elect and urged a democratic transition.
In response to the inauguration, the US Treasury Department imposed new sanctions on eight Maduro regime officials, including the head of the state oil company PDVSA and the transportation minister. These sanctions aim to target those enabling Maduro's repression and undermining democracy. The US also increased the reward for information leading to Maduro's arrest or conviction to $25 million, with similar rewards offered for other key figures in his regime. Additionally, visa restrictions have been imposed on approximately 2,000 individuals aligned with Maduro. Blinken reiterated the US commitment to supporting a return to democracy in Venezuela.
