Maduro and Trump: Two inaugurations for two rivals on a collision course
Al Jazeera
During his first term as US president, Donald Trump was a fierce critic of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro. Will that change?
Bogota, Colombia – On January 10, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is set to be sworn in for a third term, after a contested election rife with accusations of fraud and repression.
But as Venezuela prepares for the controversial inauguration, Maduro has repeatedly spent time on state media addressing an old adversary: former United States President Donald Trump.
Trump is set to be sworn in for a second term on January 20, just days after Maduro.
The two men frequently traded insults during Trump’s first term, from 2017 to 2021. But after Trump’s recent re-election in November, Maduro struck a surprising tone.
He publicly congratulated Trump and called the Republican’s second term a “new start”. He also invited Trump to foster a relationship steeped in “respect, common sense dialogue, and understanding”.
