The inauguration of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has left his opponents grappling with conflicting feelings of hope and disappointment, pondering why the leftist leader could not be stopped despite credible evidence that he had lost the election last year.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is set to be sworn in for a third term on Friday amid protests and international calls for him to stand aside.

With his challengers scattered and reeling, Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro was sworn in for a third six-year term, shrugging off international condemnation of a sham election and a brutal crackdown on dissent.

Today, Maduro officially violated the constitution,” María Corina Machado, the popular opposition leader who was briefly detained yesterday, said in a video posted on social media in the afternoon. She called on Venezuelans to take to the street to protest.

Maduro and his aides have always rejected sanctions by the U.S. and others, saying they are illegitimate measures that amount to an "economic war" designed to cripple Venezuela. H