Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was sworn in for a third six-year term after a reelection widely viewed as illegitimate and as his administration grows increasingly brazen in cracking down on its opponents.

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

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, in power since 2013, was inaugurated for a third term despite an ongoing election dispute and international backlash. The July election, declared in Maduros favor by