Maduro, president since 2013, was declared the winner of
July 2024 election by both Venezuela's electoral authority and top court,
though detailed tallies confirming his victory have never been published.
Venezuela's opposition says ballot box-level tallies show a
landslide win for its former candidate Edmundo Gonzalez, who is recognized as
president-elect by several countries, including the United States.
International election observers said the vote was not democratic.
The months since the election have seen Gonzalez's flight
to Spain in September, his ally Maria Corina Machado going into hiding in
Venezuela, and the detentions of high-profile opposition figures and
protesters.
Gonzalez has been on a whistle-stop tour of the
Americas this week and had promised to return to Venezuela.
But Machado, appearing in a video posted on social media on
Friday, said the moment was not right for his return.
"Edmundo will come to Venezuela to be sworn in as
constitutional president of Venezuela at the right time," Machado said.
"Today, it isn't viable for Edmundo to enter Venezuela. I've asked him not
to do so because his integrity is fundamental for the final defeat of the
regime and the transition to democracy, which is very close."
"Maduro consolidated the coup and the violation of our
constitution," Machado added, calling for street protests. "It's time
to do whatever is necessary to restore it."
The government, which has accused the opposition of
fomenting fascist plots against it, has said Gonzalez will be arrested if he
returns and offered a US$100,000 reward for information leading to his capture.
"Soon, very soon, whatever they do, we will manage to
enter Venezuela and put an end to this tragedy," Gonzalez said in his own
remarks from the Dominican Republic, asking the military to ignore
"illegal orders" from Maduro and cease any repression.
In the latest in a series of punitive steps, the outgoing
Biden administration increased its reward for information leading to the
arrest or conviction of Maduro on drug trafficking charges to US$25 million,
from a previous US$15 million.
It also issued a US$25 million reward for Interior Minister
Diosdado Cabello and a US$15 million reward for Defense Minister Vladimir
Padrino, as well as new sanctions against eight other officials including the
head of state oil company PDVSA Hector Obregon.
The US indicted Maduro and others on narcotics and
corruption charges, among others, in 2020. Maduro has rejected the accusations.
The US move coincided with sanctions by Britain and the
European Union, each targeting 15 officials including members of the National
Electoral Council and the security forces, and Canadian sanctions targeting 14
current and former officials.
The Maduro government has always rejected all sanctions,
saying they are illegitimate measures that amount to an "economic
war" designed to cripple Venezuela.
"The outgoing government of the United States doesn't
know how to take revenge on us," Maduro said during his inauguration
speech, without directly mentioning sanctions.
The Venezuelan communications ministry did not immediately
respond to a request for comment on the sanctions, while US officials declined
to comment on possible further sanctions, including on the oil industry.
Maduro and his allies have cheered what they say is the
country's resilience despite the measures, though they have historically blamed
some economic hardships and shortages on sanctions.
Maduro's inauguration was illegitimate, US Secretary of
State Antony Blinken said in a statement, and the US will not recognize him as
president.
"The Venezuelan people and world know the truth –
Maduro clearly lost the 2024 presidential election and has no right to claim
the presidency," Blinken said.
Later on Friday, Padrino led members of the armed forces in
a separate ceremony, where they swore complete loyalty to Maduro.
