Maduro's inauguration sparks controversy in Venezuela

The country was just hours away from the presidential inauguration of Nicolas Maduro, who was due to be sworn in for a new term, despite overwhelming evidence from the opposition that he had lost the election by a landslide.

Late in the morning, a handful of opposition demonstrators began marching in the streets of one part of the city, spontaneously joined by passers-by.

Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado called on her supporters to demonstrate across Venezuela in a bid to force Maduro from power.

Unlike previous presidential elections, the electoral authorities did not provide a detailed vote count to back up the announced result.

On Thursday evening, the Venezuelan government displayed the face of President Nicolas Maduro and other national symbols during a drone show at a military airbase in Caracas.