Nicolas Maduro Begins Third Term as Venezuelan President

caracas, venezuela - Nicolas Maduro has officially started his third term as the president of Venezuela after being elected for the third time in the recent presidential elections. The swearing-in ceremony took place in the National Assembly in Caracas.

Nicolas Maduro has officially started his third term as the president of Venezuela after being elected for the third time in the recent presidential elections. The swearing-in ceremony took place in the National Assembly in Caracas.

Maduro, who came to power in 2013 as the successor to former President Hugo Chavez and has held his position for 12 years, took the oath of office in a ceremony where he pledged to uphold peace, prosperity, equality, and a new era of democracy. He stated, "I swear on history, on my life, that I will fulfill my duty, we will fulfill it."

The presidential elections held on July 28 in Venezuela saw Maduro winning 51.2% of the votes, while the opposition coalition United Democratic Platform (PUD) candidate Edmundo Gonzalez received 44.2% of the votes. Initial exit polls had indicated Gonzalez as the winner, leading to disputes over the results. International bodies like the United States, the European Union, and some Latin American countries refused to acknowledge Maduro's victory until more data was shared regarding the election.

Following the announcement by the National Electoral Council (CNE) declaring Maduro as the winner, protests erupted across the country. The protests resulted in 27 deaths and the detention of 2,400 individuals.

The opposition candidate Gonzalez, who claimed victory in the elections, faced charges of conspiracy, forgery of documents, and abuse of authority leading to an arrest warrant. Subsequently, the Venezuelan government announced that Gonzalez had sought asylum at the Spanish Embassy in Caracas. After negotiations, Gonzalez left the country with a Spanish Air Force plane as per his request.