Tensions mount in Venezuela ahead of Maduro’s presidential swearing-in
The Hindu
Venezuela's Opposition vows to defy Maduro, seeks international support, as tensions rise ahead of presidential inauguration.
Venezuela’s embattled Opposition on Monday vowed to overcome “fear” and thwart President Nicolas Maduro’s plans to be sworn in for another term, with defiant leaders renewing calls for mass protests and visiting the White House to rally international support.
Mr. Maduro, 62, has ruled the oil-rich nation for over a decade since the death of his larger-than-life mentor Hugo Chavez, retaining an iron grip on power with the help of police, paramilitaries and the armed forces.
On Friday, Mr. Maduro is to be sworn in for a third six-year term, after swatting aside allegations he stole a July election from now-exiled Opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who claims to have won in a landslide.
Ex-diplomat Gonzalez Urrutia, 75, visited the White House early on Monday, meeting outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden in a last-gasp effort to pressure Mr. Maduro into ceding power.
The White House said Mr. Biden and Mr. Gonzalez Urrutia agreed that his “campaign victory should be honoured through a peaceful transfer back to democratic rule.”
There was also a warning from Washington that Mr. Biden would be “closely” following Venezuelan authorities’ response to protests planned on Thursday, the eve of Mr. Maduro’s investiture.
“Venezuelans should be allowed to express their political opinions peacefully without any fear of reprisal from the military and police,” the White House said.
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