Maduro’s inauguration for a third term in Venezuela… congratulations from Putin and American condemnation

For a period of six years, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was sworn in yesterday, Friday, for a third term, while Washington, London, and the European Union renewed their refusal to recognize Maduro as the legitimate president.

“I swear that this new presidential period will be a period of peace, prosperity, equality and new democracy,” Maduro said before the National Assembly, after which Assembly Speaker Jorge Rodriguez declared him a “constitutional president.”

After placing around his neck the presidential scarf and the necklace of the key to Simón Bolívar’s coffin, Maduro added, “Say what you want…but this constitutional inauguration took place despite everything, and it is a great victory for Venezuelan democracy.”

The ceremony was moved forward by one and a half hours without prior notice. Maduro arrived at the Palace of the National Assembly at around 10:30 a.m. local time, and passed through a line of uniformed soldiers before entering the building, where he shook hands for a long time with Cuban President Miguel Díaz Canel and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega.

Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated his Venezuelan counterpart on his inauguration for a third term, while State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin participated in the inauguration ceremony in Caracas.

On the other hand, the United States denounced the “farce” of Maduro’s inauguration, and imposed new sanctions on Caracas, raising the reward to $25 million in exchange for providing any information leading to the trial of the Venezuelan president.

London described Nicolas Maduro as “illegitimate” and imposed sanctions on 15 prominent figures in his administration.

In turn, European Union foreign policy chief Kaya Kallas considered that Maduro “does not enjoy any democratic legitimacy.” (Russia Today)