Venezuela is set to inaugurate a new head of state on Friday, but there are still two men claiming to be the nation’s rightful president. Incumbent Nicolás Maduro is scheduled to attend a swearing-in ceremony on January 10 to begin his third term in power, despite many countries around the world disputing his claims to have won the presidential election in July.
Maduro’s challenger, Edmundo González Urrutia, is determined to return to the capital Caracas by January 10 to take office, even under the threat of arrest by Venezuelan authorities. González had been in exile in Spain since September, but he is planning to return to Venezuela and take power from Maduro.
The power struggle between the two men has its roots in the July 28 presidential election, in which both men claimed victory. Venezuela’s National Electoral Council declared Maduro the winner without providing voting tallies, but the opposition disputed the claim and released tens of thousands of tallies gathered from across the country, saying they proved González won by a landslide.
Independent observers and CNN’s own analysis concluded that the tallies published by the opposition are likely to be valid, and several countries including the United States recognized González as president-elect in recent months.
González has long vowed to return to Venezuela to form a new government and prevent a new Maduro term. He could attempt to enter the Venezuelan capital with key supporters by his side, but entering the country could prove risky. Maduro’s government has warned that González will be arrested along with any former presidents who accompany him.
Maduro says he has already received an invitation from the National Assembly to be sworn in at a ceremony on Friday, and has alluded to extreme security measures his government is preparing for inauguration day. In the days leading up to the inauguration, Venezuela said it had arrested more than 125 people, including foreigners, who were accused of being “mercenaries” involved in “destabilization actions.”
If Maduro takes office again, it could further deteriorate diplomatic relations with many of Venezuela’s neighbors, which have already refused to recognize his ruling and sided with González instead. The inauguration is also expected to affect migration across the Americas, as up to 8 million people have fled Venezuela due to unprecedented levels of poverty and economic mismanagement, with many traveling thousands of miles to reach the US and other countries.
