Venezuela’s Supreme Court on Saturday ordered Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to assume the role of interim president following the detention of President Nicolás Maduro during an operation carried out by US forces earlier in the day.
According to Reuters, the Constitutional Chamber ruled that Rodríguez would take over “the office of President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela” to ensure administrative continuity and the comprehensive defense of the nation.
The court said it would further deliberate to determine the appropriate legal framework to safeguard the continuity of the state, governance, and national sovereignty in what it described as the “forced absence” of the president.
Who Is Delcy Rodríguez?
Delcy Eloína Rodríguez Gómez, 56, was born on May 18, 1969, in Caracas. She is the daughter of Jorge Antonio Rodríguez, a left-wing guerrilla leader and founder of the Liga Socialista party in the 1970s.
Rodríguez studied law at the Central University of Venezuela and has risen steadily through the country’s political ranks over the past decade, emerging as one of the most influential figures in the Maduro administration.
Rapid Rise in Venezuelan Politics
Rodríguez served as Minister of Communication and Information from 2013 to 2014 before being appointed Foreign Minister, a role she held from 2014 to 2017.
In 2017, she was named head of the pro-government Constituent Assembly, a body that significantly expanded President Maduro’s powers.
In June 2018, Maduro appointed Rodríguez as Vice President, describing her at the time as “brave, seasoned, and tested in a thousand battles.”
Key Role in Oil and Economic Policy
In August 2024, Maduro expanded Rodríguez’s responsibilities by assigning her charge of the oil ministry, tasking her with managing the impact of US sanctions on Venezuela’s most critical industry, Reuters reported.
She has also served as the country’s chief economic authority and works closely with her brother, Jorge Rodríguez, who currently heads Venezuela’s National Assembly.
Demand for Proof of Life of Maduro
Following Maduro’s detention, Rodríguez issued an audio message broadcast on state television, calling on the United States government to provide proof of life for Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
She insisted that Maduro remains Venezuela’s legitimate president.
“There is only one president in this country, and his name is Nicolás Maduro Moros,” Rodríguez said.
Conflicting Claims With the US
Rodríguez’s remarks contradicted statements made earlier by US President Donald Trump, who claimed that Rodríguez had been “sworn in” and was willing to cooperate with Washington. Trump also said the United States would temporarily oversee Venezuela’s administration.
State television later showed Rodríguez speaking from Caracas, despite earlier reports suggesting she was in Russia.
