Nicolás Maduro was sworn in for a third term as Venezuela's president on Friday, extending his rule until 2031. The ceremony, held in the National Assembly controlled by his allies, unfolded amid unresolved allegations of electoral fraud and the looming presence of opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia, who has vowed to return to Caracas and claim the presidency himself.
Adding to the political tension, opposition leader María Corina Machado was reportedly detained and then swiftly released under unclear circumstances following a rally in Caracas on Thursday. Machado described her brief detention as violent, alleging coercion to record videos while in custody. The government, however, labeled the incident a "false flag operation" intended to create chaos.
