Venezuela’s National Assembly on Monday swore in Delcy Rodriguez as interim president, two days after United States special forces captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in a shock military operation that has drawn global condemnation.
Rodriguez, who previously served as vice president under Maduro, took the oath of office during an emergency session of parliament in Caracas. She pledged to steer the nation through the political storm while defending Venezuela’s sovereignty.
Addressing lawmakers at the swearing-in, Rodriguez declared her commitment to the Venezuelan people.
“I take this oath in the name of all Venezuelans,” she said.
Expressing outrage over the U.S. raid and subsequent extradition of Maduro and his wife to New York on drug charges, she stated, “I am in pain over the kidnapping of our heroes, the hostages in the United States.”
Maduro and several top Venezuelan officials face narcotics charges in the U.S., but the manner of their arrest—through a surprise military strike, has ignited widespread protests and condemnation.
Thousands of Venezuelans poured into the streets outside the legislature on Monday, chanting slogans in support of their deposed leader. “Maduro, hold on: Venezuela is rising!” they roared.
One protester, Flur Alberto, 32, told AFP, “Regardless of whether Nicolás Maduro has something to answer for in court, this was not the way to do it.”
Inside the parliament, lawmakers reaffirmed their loyalty to Rodriguez and re-elected her brother, Jorge Rodriguez, as Speaker of the National Assembly. As the session opened, they chanted, “Let’s go, Nico!” a slogan from Maduro’s controversial 2024 re-election campaign, which was rejected by the opposition and several Western capitals, including Washington.
The weekend raid, personally authorised by President Donald Trump, saw U.S. forces storm Caracas and extract Maduro and Flores, flying them to the United States aboard a military aircraft.
Senior lawmaker Fernando Soto Rojas strongly criticised the move, accusing Trump of overreach.
“The president of the United States, Trump, claims to be the prosecutor, the judge, and the policeman of the world,” he said during the parliamentary session.
“We say: you will not succeed. And we will ultimately deploy all our solidarity so that our legitimate president, Nicolas Maduro, returns victorious to Miraflores,” he vowed, referencing the presidential palace in Caracas.