After President Nicolas Maduro was captured by the US military on Saturday, Venezuela was left without an immediate political transition, even as the existing government and military leadership continued to function. The country’s highest court has since directed Vice President Delcy Rodriguez to assume the role of interim president, while the US said it would run the country.
The United States launched a swift overnight military operation against Venezuela early on Saturday, capturing Maduro and his wife after months of accusations that his government was linked to narco-terrorism. The operation followed earlier US strikes on alleged Caribbean drug boats and a Venezuelan port on Monday. Maduro has earlier rejected claims that he led a drug cartel and has accused the US of using the “war on drugs” as a pretext to remove him from power and gain control over Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.For years, Maduro had stayed in power despite coup attempts, mass protests, army revolts and harsh economic sanctions. His sudden removal created deep uncertainty over who controls the country and how power will be exercised next.US President Donald Trump said Saturday the United States would “run the country until a safe, proper and judicious transition” can be ensured.“We’re going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country,” Trump told reporters.The president further said a “group” would lead the effort. “We’re going to be running it with a group, and we’re going to make sure it’s run properly,” he said.When asked who in Venezuela would be part of that group, Trump said secretary of state Marco Rubio had been speaking with vice president Delcy Rodriguez.Trump told reporters that Rodriguez was willing to cooperate with Washington. He said she had spoken at length with Rubio and had shown readiness to do “whatever” the US needed.“I think she was quite gracious,” Trump added. “We can’t take a chance that somebody else takes over Venezuela that doesn’t have the good of the Venezuelan people in mind.”Also read: From Trump’s go-ahead to handcuffed Maduro — how US carried out Operation ‘Absolute Resolve’ in under five hoursTrump also dismissed opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, saying she did not have enough support to lead the country.In her speech soon after Mudaro’s capture, Rodriguez rejected the US action outright. She demanded the immediate release of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and called the military operation a violation of international law.
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“There is only one president in this country, and his name is Nicolas Maduro,” Rodriguez had said, standing alongside senior civilian leaders and top military commanders.Under Venezuela’s constitution, if a president is absent, a new election is supposed to be called within a month. But there is no clarity on whether that process has begun or even applies in this situation.Rodriguez has been Venezuela’s vice president since 2018 and was next in the constitutional line of succession. Trained as a lawyer in Europe, she has long represented the Chavez–Maduro movement internationally.
