- Delcy Rodríguez Takes Over as Acting President Following Maduro’s Capture
- The apex court added that further deliberations would be held to “determine the appropriate legal framework to ensure continuity of the state
- Trump also announced that American companies would tap into Venezuela’s vast oil reserves
Venezuela’s Supreme Court has appointed Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as Acting President following the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro by United States forces, a move aimed at preventing a vacuum in governance.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the decision was taken on Saturday, January 3, by the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court.
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In its ruling, the court said Rodríguez would temporarily assume “the office of President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to guarantee administrative continuity and the comprehensive defence of the nation.”
The apex court added that further deliberations would be held to “determine the appropriate legal framework to ensure continuity of the state, governance, and the defence of national sovereignty in light of the forced absence of the President of the Republic.”
Maduro, who has ruled Venezuela since 2013, was captured early Saturday during a US military operation and extradited to the United States to face drug trafficking charges.
The development has sparked widespread international controversy, even as US President Donald Trump praised the operation.
Trump also announced that American companies would tap into Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, estimated at about 20% of global crude deposits to finance infrastructure repairs and generate revenue.
Rodríguez, 56, is a long-time Maduro ally and the daughter of revolutionary figure Jorge Antonio Rodríguez. She has held several key positions in government, including foreign minister and oil minister, before her appointment as vice president in 2018. At the time, Maduro described her as “brave, seasoned, and tested in a thousand battles.”
In an audio message broadcast on state television shortly after her appointment, Rodríguez insisted that Maduro remains Venezuela’s legitimate leader.
“There is only one president in this country, and his name is Nicolás Maduro Moros,” she said.
She demanded proof of life for Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and rejected any suggestion of foreign control over Venezuela.
Trump, however, claimed the US was already in contact with Rodríguez, stating that she had been sworn in and was “willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again.”
He further asserted that the United States would temporarily “run Venezuela” until a safe political transition is achieved, dismissing opposition leader María Corina Machado as lacking sufficient support.
Rodríguez sharply rejected Trump’s remarks, warning that Venezuela would not submit to foreign domination.
“We will not be an American colony again. What has been done to Venezuela could be done to any country in the region,” she said, announcing the activation of all state authorities against what she described as Trump’s “savage” actions.
Reactions to the development have been mixed. While many Venezuelans in exile across Argentina, Peru, and Chile celebrated Maduro’s arrest, others expressed fears that Venezuela could descend into instability similar to Iraq, Libya, or Syria following foreign intervention.
The court’s decision effectively blocks the opposition from immediately claiming power, keeping control within the ruling Socialist Party (PSUV) amid deepening political uncertainty.
Maduro is expected to be arraigned in the United States on Monday, as global attention remains fixed on the unfolding crisis in one of Latin America’s most oil-rich nations.
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