Venezuela’s president sworn in for 2nd term

By Lokman Ilhan and Mumin Altas

CARACAS/BOGOTA (AA) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was sworn in to the second term on Thursday.

The oath-taking ceremony was held in the capital Caracas for Maduro, who was re-elected last May.

The 56-year-old leader first took office in 2013 after his predecessor Hugo Chavez died and will govern Venezuela for another six years.

Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay, who arrived in Venezuela’s capital late Wednesday, attended Maduro’s oath taking ceremony.

Representatives from more than 90 countries, including Bolivian President Eva Morales and Cuban President Miguel Mario Diaz-Canel, attended the ceremony.

Meanwhile, the Lima Group, comprising mostly Latin American countries, said that they will not recognize Maduro’s presidency.

Mexico, the only member of the group which did not sign the decision, was represented by commercial attache in Caracas.

Meanwhile, the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) on Thursday agreed “to not recognize the legitimacy of Nicolas Maduro’s new term as of the 10th of January of 2019,” the bloc said in a statement.

“The resolution was approved with 19 votes in favor, 6 against, 8 abstentions and one absent,” the statement added.