Maduro began ruling Venezuela

In a speech with a lack of solid announcements on how to solve economic and political problems that the country is facing,  Nicolas Maduro was appointed yesterday as the new president of Venezuela and began his term while he offered, for the first time since the start of the electoral process, a dialogue with his rival Henrique Capriles, who has challenged his victory.

In a ceremony at the National Assembly, temporarily suspended by the arrival of a stranger when Maduro began his speech and while in the streets sounded pans and rockets, the new president said he will deepen the “revolution” and correct the inefficiencies and corruption that plague the so-called “missions” or the social subsidy programs in the country.

A man dressed in red tried to interrupt Maduro’s speech.

“I’m willing to talk with the devil, God forgive me … even to the new Carmona if necessary“, he said, referring to Capriles, who he identifies  as “the new Carmona,” a Venezuelan businessman who swore himself in as president in April 2002 when Hugo Chavez was removed from power for a few hours. He has been exiled in Colombia ever since.

The session included some Latin American leaders like Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos, Cuban Raul Castro, Iranian Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Bolivian Evo Morales and Nicaraguan Daniel Ortega. Also Dilma Rousseff of Brazil, Cristina Fernandez of Argentina and Jose Mujica of Uruguay. The event was held while an audit on the election votes requested by the opposition is still pending, trusting that it will revoke the official results.

Armed Forces last night swore loyalty to the new president Maduro “as heir of the Bolivarian revolution,” during a military parade in Caracas after his inauguration, in which they honored the late president Hugo Chavez.