Fear on the streets of Caracas as Maduro’s inauguration looms

“If you need one word to describe Venezuela these days, it would be fearful.” That’s what one Latin American diplomat told CNN this week, reflecting on the strange atmosphere in the country.

“If you need one word to describe Venezuela these days, it would be fearful.” That’s what one Latin American diplomat told CNN this week, reflecting on the strange atmosphere in the country. Venezuelans are bracing for yet another wave of repression as strongman leader Nicolas Maduro prepares to be inaugurated for a third time on Friday – sealing an election outcome that opposition politicians and the US government say was stolen. In recent days, the government has deployed a show of force ahead of the inauguration, increasing the number of policemen and security officers on the street and detaining dozens of people across the country, including a former presidential candidate, according to human rights advocates. The climate of fear is palpable on social media, with the Instagram account of Venezuela’s military counterintelligence agency recently posting a video of a hand knocking on a door in the middle of the night – a message suggestive of the kinds of retaliation critics might encounter. Maduro and his allies are “showing they are not going to tolerate any dissent, and people are scared,” the diplomat said, asking to speak anonymously to avoid possible repercussions. Maduro’s re-election could hardly be more controversial. On July 28, he was proclaimed winner of the presidential election by electoral authorities under the tight control of the ruling Socialist Party.