Venezuelan consulate in Lisbon targeted after Maduro’s inauguration

The Venezuelan consulate in Lisbon was the target of a Molotov cocktail attack on Saturday night (11), one day after Nicolás Maduro took office in the Caribbean country. Venezuela’s Foreign Minister, Yván Gil, blamed “fascism” for what happened in the Portuguese capital.

“Today, fascism attacked our Consulate General headquarters in Lisbon, Portugal with firebombs, attacking the services provided to our compatriots,” he wrote on his Instagram profile.

“The irrational aggressions of unbalanced groups will not be able to reverse the advances of the Bolivarian Revolution. We are grateful for the quick intervention of the Portuguese authorities, which prevented further damage”, added the minister. “We hope that the investigations initiated will allow us to find those responsible and determine the corresponding responsibilities”, he concluded.

A statement from the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs published on the social network X condemned what happened. “The Portuguese government strongly condemns the attack on the Venezuelan consulate in Lisbon,” says the post.

Maduro’s inauguration

The attack occurred one day after the inauguration of President Nicolás Maduro, at the National Assembly, in Caracas, amid accusations of electoral fraud. The days before the ceremony were marked by tension and opposition disputes surrounding the event. The former opposition candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, questions the results and stated that he would be in Venezuela on Friday to take office, which did not happen. He is the subject of an arrest warrant

In his inauguration speech, Maduro, who is heading into his third term, spoke about United States interference in the Venezuelan economy. He also said that Washington was defeated when trying to “attack” the country.

“We had strength against a public and media articulation from the USA, which transformed the Venezuelan election into a global dispute. It’s not Maduro, it’s a people that grows into a man. If Maduro has meaning, it is because Chávez has meaning. They tried to transform the election into a peaceful country, but the oligarchy is defeated, the USA is defeated”, he stated.