Despite US Interventionism, Venezuela’s Maduro Sworn In for 2nd Presidential Term

Nicolas Maduro was sworn in at Venezuela’s Supreme Court for a second six-year term after winning the election of May 2018 with 67 percent of the vote.

Venezuela President Maduro began his second term in office Thursday after he was sworn in at the country’s supreme court as leaders and delegations from 94 nations from around the globe attended the event along with representatives from OPEC, the African Union. UNASUR, Caricom and CELAC attended the swearing-in ceremony.
Maduro assumes a new term for which he has committed to “promote the changes that are needed in Venezuela, to defend the right to peace and respect for the Constitution.”

On May 20 last year, Nicolás Maduro was re-elected president of Venezuela with 67.7 percent of the vote.

Maduro began his inauguration speech by thanking world leaders and representatives of over 94 countries who have attended his inauguration today, defying U.S. attempts to isolate the country. “Our Bolivarian constitution is an expression of peace and of the people,” Maduro told world leaders and representatives as well as Venezuelan senior officials attending the event.

According to Telesur, the inauguration comes amid threats of military interventions and coups against the progressive government by the United States and its allies in Latin America. Maduro’s new mandate also comes despite the economic war that has been unleashed against the Maduro government by the United States and its European allies using economic sanctions.

“Venezuela is at the center of a global war waged by US imperialism and their satellite states,” Maduro told the crowd commenting on such attacks and interventions by the U.S. and its allies. “Here I am, ready to take our country forward. Here we are with our democracy and our people.”

A day earlier, Maduro warned that his country was facing a coup attempt ordered by the Donald Trump administration and the so-called Lima Group, the anti-Venezuelan organization founded in 2016 and includes 14 American states who are led by right-wing governments.

“The Venezuelan right-wing has infected the politics of Latin America, we can see that in the election of the fascist Bolsonaro in Brazil,” he said Thursday after being sworn in but adding that “Venezuela has a solid democracy, so any problem that we have will be dealt with by Venezuelans without interference from any country.”  

Right-wing governments in Latin America have already begun their attack on the newly elected government of President Maduro as President of Paraguay Mario Abdo Benítez announced Thursday, shortly after Maduro was sworn in, that his country breaks diplomatic relations with Venezuela. Abdo Benitez announced that the embassy will be closed and diplomatic staff will be withdrawn.

 
Armed Forces Pledge Allegiance to President Maduro

After his swearing-in ceremony, Nicolas Maduro addressed more than 4,000 members of the armed forces.

After his swearing-in ceremony at Venezuela’s Supreme Court (TSJ), the National Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB) pledged allegiance to Nicolas Maduro as president and commander-in-chief for the 2019-2025 term.

“With the heart I accept the sacred oath you’ve made with loyalty, discipline and subordination,” Maduro told over 4,000 members of the armed forces at the Military Bolivarian University of Venezuela (UMBV) at Tiuna Fort in Caracas Thursday, Telesur reported.

“You have faced so many attacks from the Guarimbas (far-right rioters) and much more.”

The president was accompanied by international representatives and heads of state, such as Cuba’s Miguel Diaz-Canel and Bolivia’s Evo Morales, while the Military High Command recognized him as its commander-in-chief.

“The Supreme Commander Hugo Chavez carried out a military revolution in Venezuela, but that revolution can’t stop,” Maduro said. “It’s time to deepen the military revolution of Venezuela.”

During the ceremony, Maduro pledged to increase the military capacity of the FANB over the next six years and update the arms system “to defend national sovereignty.”

“Simon Bolivar was a visionary, as well as Commander Hugo Chavez,” Maduro continued.

“They saw the future. They didn’t remain stagnant in the past, nor in the problems or difficult circumstances of the present.”
Minister of Defense Vladimir Padrino Lopez said the people of Venezuela “chose Nicolas Maduro as their president through the legitimate exercise of their sovereignty” and that the armed forces accepted “its orders without any doubt.”

“Always loyal, never traitors,” said Padrino Lopez while gifting Maduro a replica of the sword of Rafael Urdaneta, one of Venezuela’s independence heroes.

Maduro said the Venezuelan people were undertaking “an epic, heroic battle to tell the world that Venezuela must be respected, and that it’s ruled by Venezuelans without any foreign government intervention.”

H.M