US offers $25m bounty for Nicolas Maduro as Venezuelan President begins third term

Announcement follows reported detention of opposition figure

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, centre, after his swearing-in for a third term, at the National Assembly in Caracas. AP

The US on Friday announced it was raising a bounty on President Nicolas Maduro to $25 million, as the Venezuelan leader was sworn in for a third term in office.

Also named in the sanctions announced by the Treasury Department are eight Venezuelan officials who lead “key economic and security agencies enabling Nicolas Maduro’s repression and subversion of democracy in Venezuela”.

The bounty on Mr Maduro's head was raised from an initial $15 million in 2020 to the current amount following elections last July that were viewed widely as fraudulent.

“Since last year’s election, Maduro and his associates have continued their repressive actions in Venezuela,” said acting undersecretary of the Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence Bradley T Smith. “The United States, together with our like-minded partners, stands in solidarity with the Venezuelan people’s vote for new leadership and rejects Maduro’s fraudulent claim of victory.”

Venezuelans confront police officers during a protest against President Nicolas Maduro's government in Caracas. AFP

Demonstrators march in Caracas as they protest against the outcome of presidential elections. Bloomberg

Thousands of people descended on central Caracas on Monday evening as they headed towards the presidential palace. Reuters

Police hurdle a tear gas canister at protesters demonstrating against the election results in Caracas. AP

Molotov cocktails hit the ground in front of security forces during protests in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela. Reuters

Police and protesters engage in scuffles in Caracas. AP

A protester aims a weapon during clashes with police in Caracas. AP

Police officers carry an injured colleague as they take cover during a protest in Caracas. AFP

Police officers and the Bolivarian National Guard clash with opposition protesters in Caracas. EPA

People take care of a protester affected by tear gas thrown by police during demonstrations in Caracas. AP

Venezuelans set a small police station on fire during a protest against the government in Valencia, Carabobo state. AFP

A demonstrator is detained by riot police in Caracas. Reuters

Mr Maduro arrives for a press conference to certify the election at the National Electoral Council in Caracas. Bloomberg

Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado raises the hand of her party's presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez a day after the presidential election. Getty Images

Public prosecutor Tarek Saab speaks during a press conference in Caracas. Venezuela named Ms Corina Machado as a key suspect in its investigation of alleged electoral sabotage in Sunday's presidential vote. Bloomberg

Opposition members who sought refuge in the Argentine embassy thank supporters protesting against the election outcome in Caracas. AP

Opposition supporters protest against the official election results outside the Argentine embassy in Caracas. AP

A man writes in Spanish 'no more dictatorship, fraud' on a wall during a protest in Valencia, Carabobo state. AFP

The US is also offering $15 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Diosdado Cabello, Venezuela's Minister of Interior, Justice and Peace, and Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino.

The State Department also imposed visa restrictions on Maduro-aligned individuals for their roles in “undermining the electoral process or in acts of repression in Venezuela”. Similar action was taken by the UK, Canada and the EU.

The announcement comes a day after reports that security forces had arrested opposition leader Maria Corina Machado during a protest march in Caracas. She later stated in a post on X that she had been released. The Venezuelan government denied that she had been detained.

The opposition has said the elections were stolen by Mr Maduro and that their own tallies showed they had won 67 per cent of the vote – a claim supported by international observers including the Carter Centre and the Colombian Electoral Mission.

During the elections, Ms Machado ran as vice president to Edmundo Gonzalez, a former diplomat who, after his electoral defeat, fled to Spain fearing arrest. Mr Gonzalez travelled to Washington this week, where he met President Joe Biden.

“President Biden emphasised that the world was inspired by the millions of Venezuelans who courageously voted for democratic change in Venezuela’s deeply flawed July 28 presidential election, as demonstrated through the collection of voting tally sheets that indicated that [Edmundo] Gonzalez Urrutia received the most votes by an insurmountable margin,” the White House said in a readout.

Also on Friday, the Department of Homeland Security announced the extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuela for 18 months, meaning about 600,000 Venezuelans living in the US can remain in the country legally.

“The extension of TPS is due to extraordinary and temporary conditions that prevent eligible Venezuelan nationals from safely returning,” the department said in a release.