Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was sworn into office for a third consecutive term on Friday, as the United States, European Union and United Kingdom announced a new round of sanctions on the increasingly authoritarian government.

The US, EU and many neighboring countries have recognised the opposition candidate – Edmundo González– as president-elect and accused Maduro of fraud.

The Venezuelan president’s swearing in ceremony follows last year’s controversial election in July that sparked large scale protests in which thousands of people were arrested.

Even as he takes office for another six- year term, he finds himself increasingly isolated on the international stage.

On Friday, not only did the Biden administration issue new financial sanctions on eight officials from Maduro’s government, they also increased a reward for information leading to Maduro’s capture and arrest from $15 million, to $25million.

Maduro was charged with narco-terrorism in 2020 by U.S. prosecutors who accused him of backing a terrorist group in Colombia and facilitating cocaine shipments to the United States. Maduro denies the charges, which he has described as part of an effort to violently remove him from office.

At his inauguration Maduro struck a defiant tone as he celebrated in a red carpeted room, surrounded by loyalists and dignitaries from China, Russia and other nations that have been friendly towards his government. The Cuban and Nicaraguan presidents were the only Latin American leaders present at the inauguration.