LIVE Updates: Chaos and Confusion ahead of Maduro's Inauguration
After elections widely viewed as fraudulent in Venezuela, the leader is about to be sworn in for a third term. Drama and confusion set the tone
PWS will be updating this story throughout the day as events unfold. Check back for all the developments with the context you won’t get anywhere else
6:00 a.m Bogota-time: Nicolas Maduro is set to assume his third term as president today after winning the July presidential elections that were widely viewed as fraudulent. Edmundo González Urrutia, the opposition candidate who claims to have won the popular vote, has promised to return today and assume the office of the presidency.
This, however, is extremely unlikely. González fled Venezuela after the government issued a warrant for his arrest, and in recent weeks the government has announced a $100,000 reward for his capture.
González has spent the last week touring countries in the Americas that have recognized him as Venezuela's president-elect. As of late Thursday night, he was in the Dominican Republic with 10 former presidents of Latin American countries who had promised to travel with him to Venezuela today.
Thursday was marked by protests in Caracas, even amidst z mass deployment of security forces, and crackdowns which have included arrests of opposition staff members as well as scores of foreign nationals that the Maduro government has accused of being “foreign mercenaries”.
But as modest marches in the capital unfolded, the day quickly went from calm chaos to global confusion after María Corina Machado, the vice-presidential candidate who has been in hiding for months, showed up to lead a protest in the capital.
Machado has been accused of “terrorism” by the Venezuelan government, which issued a warrant for her arrest in late July. She has remained largely hidden since then, though she has granted interviews and released public statements from hiding.
After giving a speech, however, Machado disappeared. Her team claimed in public statements that she had been detained by police and “colectivos”, the informal militias that make up part of Venezuela’s security forces, and released video that seemed to support the claim.
In the following hours, however, 4 more videos of Machado emerged, showing the opposition leader dressed in black, in what appeared to be a public park, denying that she had been arrested and reporting that she was well.
Media companies scrambled in the hours that followed. Some Venezuelan journalists tracked the origin of the videos to a Telegram channel administered by Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez.
They first appeared, however, on most social media in a report released by Venezuelan state media company TeleSur. Many analysts immediately drew attention to the fact that the videos were not released via Machada’s social media team, her usual method of communication, and threw suspicion on the videos.
Two hours later, Human Rights Watch announced that they had confirmed Machado had indeed been detained and called for her immediate release. Machado’s team also released a statement confirming what they called a “kidnapping” by state forces.
In the late afternoon, Machado released a statement via her Twitter account that she had been freed, and said the videos had been filmed under duress.
The Venezuelan government claims Machado is lying and that she staged the disappearance to draw sympathy ahead of today’s inauguration.
The bizarre turn of events set off a media firestorm as well as conflicting statements from regional leaders. Colombian President Gustavo Petro, on social media, called reports of Machada’s arrest “fake news”.
In previous days Colombia has denounced the elections for “not being free or transparent” and refused to recognize the results. Nonetheless, Petro has said Colombia will not break diplomatic relations with Maduro, and up until late Thursday afternoon, planned to send an ambassador to attend Maduro’s swearing-in.
Brazil has taken a similar position in recent days.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has not criticized election results and is also sending officials to attend the inauguration ceremony along with Cuba and Nicaragua.
Today promises to be just as dramatic as yesterday with opposition marches scheduled. If González does indeed return to Venezuela, the government will be faced with the decision to arrest him or not, a move that would likely anger even regional allies.
We will be updating throughout the day as events unfold, be sure to check the website throughout the day.
6:20 a.m: Venezuela closes its borders with Colombia from 5:00 a.m. today until 5:00 a.m. on Monday January 13, per an announcement by Freddy Bernal, governor of Táchira.
“We have information of an international conspiracy to disturb the peace of Venezuelans and especially in this border area,” he claims.
8:25 a.m: The final roster of attendees for Maduro’s ceremony includes only one head of State: Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel.
The surprise closure of the border by Venezuelan authorities left hundreds of Venezuelans stuck in Colombia, near Cucuta. In the early morning hours, Venezuelan security forces placed shipping containers on two of the bridges from Colombia to Venezuela near the city, but removed them two hours later for reasons unknown.
Flights between Caracas and Bogota have also been cancelled for the next 72 hours. In a message at 7:30 a.m, Colombia’s Foreign Ministry announced that the border continues to be open on the Colombian side.
8:55 a.m: Streets in Caracas are nearly silent and few people are on the streets. Most public transportation is empty. “There are more police than citizens out,” one Venezuelan who asked their name be withheld wrote to PWS.
9:43 a.m: And the ceremony has begun!
And its over. Holy moly was that a short ceremony. It also took place an hour before it was officially scheduled.
10:01 a.m: We have so many questions. Did González decide *not* to return to Venezuela as he has been promising for weeks? And we get nothing more than the short written statement from MCM about what happened yesterday?
10:16 a.m: Daniel Ortega, President of Nicaragua has just shown up, having missed almost the entire ceremony.
2:50 p.m: Machado releases an audio message via her social media. “Edmundo (Gonzalez) will come to Venezuela to be sworn in as constitutional president when the conditions are right,” she said, seemingly confirming that he will not be arriving in Venezuela at the moment.
She also explained what happened to her yesterday. “Well, it was portrayed as a historic speech, but all she really confirmed is what we already knew about yesterday, and that Edmundo isn't coming to town,” said our own Pirata Amy Booth about the speech.
3:34 p.m: Although it is receiving far less fanfare from the Maduro government, the Venezuelan-Colombian border is also closed according to reports from journalists there.
3:49 p.m: We’re signing off for the day. It seems clear that things are winding down in Caracas. The Biden administration announced an extension to Venezuelan migrants with TPS in the U.S. At least we can leave you with a tiny bit of good news.
Overall, a huge loss for free society in Venezuela, but, as one Venezuelan wrote PWS “It’s depressing, but it’s not as if I wasn’t expecting it.”
Thank for tuning in piratas! Hasta pronto!