Regina Garcia Cano| Associated Press

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.

President Nicolás Maduro is about to extend his increasingly repressive rule over Venezuela until 2031. Maduro will be sworn in on Friday, despite credible evidence that his opponent won the latest election and following protests against his plan to serve a third six-year term

An independent group of election experts that observed Venezuela’s July presidential election has legitimized the vote tally sheets that the country’s opposition has offered as proof of President Nicolás Maduro’s defeat.

Venezuela’s main opposition coalition has urged the U.S. to cancel licenses for Chevron and other energy companies. The coalition aims to pressure President Nicolás Maduro to negotiate a transition from power.

Venezuelans have a crucial decision ahead of them. On Sunday, they decide whether to give President Nicolas Maduro a third six-year term in office or to allow the opposition a chance to deliver on their promise to undo the policies that caused economic collapse and forced millions to emigrate.

Eleven years into Venezuela’s crisis, the days of food shortages are virtually gone. But with many earning under $200 a month, getting the essentials is a constant struggle for families in rural and urban areas alike.

President Nicolás Maduro, now in his 11th year in office, is being challenged by former diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia at the head of a resurgent opposition, as well as a field of eight other candidates.

As Maduro shifts from migration denier to defender, Venezuelans consider leaving if he is reelected, primarily for economic reasons a recent poll shows.

Edmundo González Urrutia, the former diplomat chosen by the coalition to replace the fiery leader María Corina Machado, invited thousands of supporters to gather in the city of La Victoria, his hometown.

As Venezuela’s government would have it, President Nicolas Maduro and members of his inner circle have been the target of several conspiracies since last year that could have left them injured or worse.

The U.S. government has pulled back part of the sanctions relief it granted Venezuela last year, following through on its threat after the South American country’s highest court blocked the presidential candidacy of an opposition leader.