Maduro is sworn in for a third term… and the opposition leader pledges to return

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro will be sworn in for a third term on Friday, remaining in power despite a six-month dispute over the results of the presidential elections that took place in July and international calls for him to step down.

The Venezuelan Electoral Commission and the Supreme Court declared Maduro, who has been president since 2013, the winner of the elections that took place in July, although the detailed results confirming his victory were never published. Madore’s rule, which lasted for about 12 years, was characterized by a deep economic and social crisis.

The Venezuelan opposition said that the results of the vote counting at the ballot box level showed a landslide victory for its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, who was recognized by a number of governments, including the United States, as president-elect.