Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro began a third term as president on Friday, cementing his increasingly authoritarian rule.

President-elect Donald Trump gave Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro a stern warning on Thursday not to harm his country’s opposition leader.

Machado’s appearance at the rally was her first public appearance in months, since a government crackdown on Venezeulan opposition figures and their supporters last year.

Nicolás Maduro took the oath before parliament, vowing his third six-year term in office would be a "period of peace".

Venezuela’s opposition leader María Corina Machado defies Maduro to lead protests that ended with her brief arrest.View on euronews

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Venezuelan expats rallied in Doral, FL, protesting María Corina Machado's detention amid Venezuela's political crisis.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is set to be sworn in for a third term on Friday amid protests and international calls for him to stand aside.

Electoral authorities loyal to the ruling party declared Maduro the winner hours after polls closed on July 28, but unlike in previous presidential elections, they did not provide detailed vote counts.

As Nicolás Maduro is inaugurated for a controversial third term, Bolton urges the incoming administration to isolate the strongman on the world stage.

President Nicolás Maduro will extend his increasingly repressive rule over Venezuela until 2031 when he is sworn in on Friday, despite credible evidence that his opponent won the latest election and following protests against his plan to serve a third six-year term.