Venezuela's Maduro to be sworn in for third term
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is set to be sworn in for a third term, staying in power despite a six-month-long dispute over a July election and international calls for him to stand aside.
Maduro, whose nearly 12 years in office have been marked by a deep economic and social crisis, will take the oath on Friday after being declared the winner of July's election by 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 recognised as president-elect by several governments including the United States.
International election observers said the vote was unfair.
Since the election, Gonzalez fled to Spain in September, his ally Maria Corina Machado went into hiding in Venezuela, and high-profile opposition figures and protesters were detained.
Gonzalez, 75, who has been on a tour of the Americas this week, has said he will return to Venezuela to take up the mantle of president, but has given no details.
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 $US100,000 ($A160,000) reward for information leading to his capture.
Gonzalez and Machado are being investigated for alleged conspiracy, but only Gonzalez has a warrant out for his arrest.
Machado's first public appearance since August at an anti-government march in Caracas on Thursday was marred by a brief detention.
Her Vente Venezuela political movement said guns were fired and Machado was knocked off the motorcycle on which she was leaving the event.
She was then held and forced to film several videos, it said.
"I am now in a safe place and with more determination than ever before to continue with you until the end!" Machado - who was barred from running in the election - said in a post on X after her release.
The government denied any involvement, saying the opposition had orchestrated it to generate support for Machado.
The opposition, non-governmental organisations and international bodies such as the United Nations have for years decried increasing repression of opposition political parties, activists and independent media in Venezuela.
The government has repeatedly accused the opposition of plotting with foreign governments to commit acts of sabotage and terrorism.
Venezuela's economy has experienced a prolonged crisis marked by triple-digit inflation and the exodus of more than seven million migrants seeking better opportunities abroad.
The first act of Maduro's new term would be to call for a constitutional reform, he said on Wednesday, though he provided no details.
About 2000 people were arrested at protests following the election.
The government said this week it had released 1515 of them.
