The Venezuelan Supreme Court has designated Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as Acting President following the detention of President Nicolás Maduro in a United States military operation.
In its Saturday pronouncement, the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court directed Rodríguez to assume presidential responsibilities. The Court justified its decision as necessary to safeguard continuity of governance, protect national interests, and ensure the comprehensive defence of the Nation during what it termed the “forced absence” of the elected Head of State.
The Court further indicated that it will deliberate on the constitutional implications of Maduro’s detention and clarify the framework for sustaining state functions in his absence.
Reports confirm that Maduro was apprehended in the early hours of Saturday in Caracas. The operation, carried out by U.S. special forces, has heightened political tension within Venezuela and attracted global attention.
According to accounts, Delta Force commandos executed a surprise raid on New Year’s Eve, storming the President’s fortified residence. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were subdued and transported to the USS Iwo Jima, an amphibious assault ship stationed off Venezuela’s coast, before being flown to New York.
Maduro, in power since 2013, faces longstanding U.S. indictments alleging: narco-terrorism, cocaine trafficking conspiracies, and weapons offences linked to the Cartel of the Suns and Colombia’s FARC.
Rodríguez, a close ally and former foreign minister, is now tasked with overseeing government operations while Venezuela’s judiciary and political institutions assess the ramifications of the President’s detention.
Both domestic actors and the international community have condemned the U.S. action as an unlawful unilateral military intervention, urging the UN Security Council to convene an emergency session.
Meanwhile, U.S. authorities have confirmed that Maduro and Flores are scheduled to appear before a federal judge in the Southern District of New York today (Monday).
