MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was sworn in for another term on Friday, deepening the country’s political crisis as opposition leaders and many Venezuelans claim he lost the election.
The disputed inauguration sparked protests across Venezuela and in South Florida, where hundreds of Venezuelans gathered to show their support for opposition leader Edmundo González, who has been recognized as the country’s president-elect by the United States and other nations.
In Caracas, opposition leader María Corina Machado was detained by Maduro’s security forces on Thursday after leading protests in the capital.
“She (Machado) is still in danger, like every Venezuelan person is in danger in Venezuela,” said Raimundo Molina, a protester in Miami. “We will continue fighting until we achieve our final goal, which is full freedom for our country.”
Machado, who had been in hiding due to threats from the regime, re-emerged to rally supporters.
In South Florida, including Miami and Doral, demonstrators took to the streets Friday, chanting for freedom and calling for international pressure on the Maduro government.
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“This is a demonstration today that hope is more alive than ever,” said Diego Vicentini, who joined the Miami protests.
Many protesters expressed frustration with Maduro’s refusal to concede defeat.
González, 75, has been living in exile in the Dominican Republic since September after fleeing threats from Maduro’s regime.
Despite his absence, González remains a symbol of hope for many Venezuelans who believe he won the presidency.
“The Venezuelan people have the votes for Edmundo González. He is the real president of Venezuela,” said Maria Teresa Rafaelly while attending a protest in Doral.
Maduro, however, has doubled down on his claims to power. During his inauguration speech, he dismissed allegations of electoral fraud and vowed to continue his administration.
Maduro has not accepted his defeat and has even offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to Gonzalez’s arrest.
Despite the threats, González announced plans to return to Venezuela, accompanied by seven former Latin American presidents in a show of solidarity.
Maduro’s security forces have said they will be ready as soon Gonzalez lands to arrest him.
South Florida’s Venezuelan community, one of the largest outside Venezuela, remains hopeful for a resolution to the country’s political turmoil.
Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., added his voice to calls for change, urging Maduro to respect the will of the voters.
“Abide by the election results, because we know that you lost,” he said.
As tensions mount, Venezuelans at home and abroad are closely watching what happens next, with González’s potential return posing a significant test for Maduro’s regime.
Gimenez, along with a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Florida Representatives Mario Díaz-Balart, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and María Elvira Salazar, along with Representatives Chris Smith of New Jersey and Darren Soto of Florida, reintroduced legislation Friday to raise the U.S. Department of Justice’s reward for the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro to $100 million.
The proposed increase would be financed using assets previously confiscated from Maduro and his regime.