The European Union has imposed sanctions on 15 top Venezuelan officials who played a role in the country's disputed election, citing concerns that they have put democracy at risk. The sanctions target the president and vice president of Venezuela's Supreme Court, electoral agency, and others. In response to the EU's move, Venezuelan authorities have suspended commercial flights and closed borders with Colombia for 72 hours. Former opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González, who is recognized as the winner of the election by several countries including the US, has promised to return to Venezuela to be sworn in as president. However, his plans are unclear, and he faces opposition from President Nicolás Maduro, who has been in power since 2013 despite widespread criticism of his rule. The situation has led to a deterioration in relations between Venezuela and its neighbors, with the US and other countries condemning Maduro's actions.
https://apnews.com/article/maduro-venezuela-inauguration-opposition-machado-gonzalez-ef148f95008a467367cb838c17994d15Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González has been recognized as the winner of the country's presidential election by several governments around the world, including the US, Canada and the European Union. However, President Nicolás Maduro has rejected these claims and declared himself the winner. In response to Maduro's victory, the US and other countries have imposed new sanctions on over 20 Venezuelan officials, including Supreme Court justices and cabinet ministers. The Biden administration has also extended a special permission allowing 600,000 Venezuelan migrants to stay in the US for another 18 months. González thanked his "democratic friends" for their support and vowed to return to Venezuela once it is safe. Maduro's inauguration was attended by several foreign leaders, but some of his allies stayed away due to concerns over human rights abuses.
https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/venezuelas-maduro-takes-new-oath-amid-protests-and-international-rebuke/article69087606.ece