Tensions mount in Venezuela ahead of Maduro swearing-in

CARACAS — Venezuela's embattled opposition on Monday vowed to overcome "fear" and thwart President Nicolas Maduro's plans to be sworn in for another term, with defiant leaders renewing calls for mass protests and visiting the White House to rally international support.

Maduro, 62, has ruled the oil-rich nation for over a decade since the death of his larger-than-life mentor Hugo Chavez, retaining an iron grip on power with the help of police, paramilitaries and the armed forces.

On Friday, Maduro is to be sworn in for a third six-year term, after swatting aside allegations he stole a July election from now-exiled opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who claims to have won in a landslide.

Ex-diplomat Gonzalez Urrutia, 75, visited the White House early Monday, meeting outgoing US President Joe Biden in a last-gasp effort to pressure Maduro into ceding power.

The White House said Biden and Gonzalez Urrutia agreed that his "campaign victory should be honored through a peaceful transfer back to democratic rule."

There was also a warning from Washington that Biden would be "closely" following the regime's response to protests planned on Thursday, the eve of Maduro's investiture.

"Venezuelans should be allowed to express their political opinions peacefully without fear of reprisal from the military and police," the White House said. 

Caracas promptly labeled Biden's support for the opposition "grotesque", as it severed diplomatic ties with Paraguay for expressing similar support for the opposition.