Venezuela’s National Assembly on Monday swore in Delcy Rodríguez as interim president, two days after US forces seized President Nicolás Maduro and transferred him to New York to face trial on drug-related charges.
Rodríguez, who had served as vice president, took the oath of office during a parliamentary session in Caracas, saying she was assuming the role “in the name of all Venezuelans.” While signalling a willingness to cooperate with Washington, she condemned the arrest of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, describing them as “hostages” held in the United States.
Lawmakers denounced the US operation that led to Maduro’s capture, pledging support for Rodríguez following the military action that stunned Venezuela and drew global attention. Outside the National Assembly, thousands of demonstrators rallied to demand Maduro’s release, chanting slogans in his support.
“Regardless of whether Nicolás Maduro has something to answer for in court, this was not the way to do it,” protester Flur Alberto, 32, told AFP.
Inside the chamber, legislators unanimously backed Rodríguez and re-elected her brother, Jorge Rodríguez, as speaker of parliament, consolidating the family’s grip on both the executive and legislative branches. As the session opened, lawmakers chanted “Let’s go, Nico!”, a campaign slogan associated with Maduro’s now-disputed 2024 re-election bid.
US forces launched strikes on Caracas in the early hours of Saturday on the orders of President Donald Trump, seizing Maduro and his wife and flying them to New York to stand trial on drug trafficking charges. The move has been widely criticised by Caracas and several international actors.
“The president of the United States claims to be the prosecutor, the judge and the policeman of the world,” senior lawmaker Fernando Soto Rojas told parliament. “We will deploy all our solidarity so that our legitimate president, Nicolás Maduro, returns to Miraflores,” he added, referring to the presidential palace.
Venezuela’s Supreme Court on Saturday ordered Rodríguez to assume the presidency in an acting capacity, a decision later endorsed by the military. Jorge Rodríguez, following his re-election as speaker, vowed to pursue every available avenue to secure Maduro’s return.
Maduro’s son and lawmaker, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, also pledged support for the interim president, telling parliament the country was “in good hands” until his parents’ return. He later addressed protesters outside the legislature, saying he was in indirect contact with his father.
The current National Assembly was elected in May in polls boycotted by much of the opposition, leaving the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and its allies with an overwhelming majority of seats.
Despite earlier insisting that Maduro remained Venezuela’s “only” president, Rodríguez later said she was open to cooperation with Washington, which has indicated it would work with the country’s leadership if US demands are met. President Trump, however, warned that Rodríguez could face consequences if she failed to comply with US conditions on policy reforms and access to Venezuela’s oil sector.
