The U.S. did not recognize President Maduro's inauguration and increased the reward for his capture

TheUnited States did not recognize the inauguration of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and increased the reward for his capture. This was announced on January 10 by the U.S. Treasury Department.

"The State Department is increasing the reward to $25 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Maduro and Maduro-appointed Interior, Justice, and Peace Minister Diosdado Cabello," the department announced.

In addition, Washington added a new reward of up to $15 million for Maduro-appointed Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino.

The State Department also imposed new visa restrictions on Maduro-linked officials who allegedly undermined Venezuela's electoral process.

Presidential inauguration: Maduro invited Putin to his inauguration

Venezuelan leader to begin new six-year term Jan. 10

Earlier in the day, Maduro officially assumed the presidency for the third time. The inauguration ceremony took place in Caracas.

The Venezuelan presidential election was held on July 28, 2024, Maduro won the election with 51.2% of the vote. Speaking to supporters outside the presidential palace, the politician said his success was a "triumph of peace and stability" and it shows that Venezuela's electoral system is "transparent."

The Russian Foreign Ministry on July 29 welcomed the successful holding of the popular will in the Bolivarian Republic, expressing the mood for further cooperation between Moscow and Caracas. In addition, Vladimir Putin congratulated Maduro on his victory.

At the same time, some countries refused to recognize the results of the vote in Venezuela. For example, the U.S. authorities officially recognized the victory of the opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez, who won 44.2% of the vote. The governments of Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Ecuador demanded a "complete review of the results".