Venezuela’s Maduro sworn in amid outrage over alleged fraudulent election

Venezuela’s authoritarian president, Nicolás Maduro, has been​ accused of a shameless and fraudulent power-grab after swearing himself in for a third term, despite domestic outrage and a chorus of international condemnation at his alleged theft of last year’s election.

“This is a great victory for Venezuelan democracy,” the 62-year-old autocrat boasted during a sparsely attended oath-taking ceremony in Caracas that was boycotted by the leaders of democratic nations.

​As Maduro extended his 12-year rule, the US announced a $65m bounty for his arrest and those of two close allies on international drug-trafficking charges and rejected Maduro’s claim to the presidency.