Venezuelan Supreme Court Appoints Delcy Rodríguez as Acting President, Day After Maduro's Capture

The Week  |  January 04, 2026 : A day after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was detained by U.S. forces in a brief military operation, the Constitutional Chamber of Venezuela's Supreme Court appointed Delcy Rodríguez as the acting president on Saturday.

Rodríguez, currently the vice president, will assume "the office of President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to guarantee administrative continuity and the comprehensive defense of the Nation," the court stated in its ruling.

The court further indicated that it will deliberate on the matter to "determine the applicable legal framework to guarantee the continuity of the State, the administration of government, and the defense of sovereignty in the face of the forced absence of the President of the Republic."

Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York and are being brought to the city to face charges against them.

Rodríguez's appointment came even as US President Donald Trump announced that he was putting Venezuela under temporary American control.

"We will run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition," Trump said during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

"We can't take a chance that someone else takes over Venezuela who doesn't have the interests of Venezuelans in mind," he said.

The Venezuelan leader has been charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the U.S.

The U.S. action has plunged the South American country into political turmoil, with many leading powers, including Russia and China, condemning Washington's operation.