Venezuela’s executive vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, was sworn in on Monday as the country’s acting president, two days after the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Congresswoman Cilia Flores, by U.S. forces amid a series of attacks in Caracas and three nearby states.
Sworn in by her brother, the president of the National Assembly (NA, Parliament), the pro-Chávez Jorge Rodríguez, the official -the first woman in the history of Venezuela to head the Executive- assured that, in these “terrible hours of threats against stability”, she will not rest “not even for a minute to guarantee peace”.
Delcy Rodríguez sworn in as president of Venezuela
🇻🇪‼️ | LAST HOUR – Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in before parliament as the new president of the Venezuelan regime, assuming power after the fall of Nicolás Maduro.
🎥 RTVE / VTV pic.twitter.com/JUmd8jnUvY
– UHN Plus (@UHN_Plus) January 5, 2026
“I come with pain for the suffering that has been caused to the Venezuelan people after an illegitimate military aggression against our homeland,” said Rodríguez during the event, broadcast by the state-run Venezolana de Televisión (VTV) channel, during which he denounced that Maduro and Flores are “hostages” in the U.S.
Rodriguez also stated that he will not rest “to see Venezuela at its rightful destiny and on the pedestal of historical honor that it deserves as a free, sovereign and independent nation”.
As well as to “guarantee a government that provides social happiness, political stability and political security”.
Vice President Rodriguez was summoned by the Supreme Court to act as acting president of the country following the capture of Maduro and Flores.
The also Minister of Hydrocarbons had already presided over her first Council of Ministers the day before and appointed a commission, presided over by her brother and composed of Maduro’s children, to negotiate the release of the president and his wife in the United States.
He also announced on Telegram a proposal to Washington to work on a joint “cooperation agenda.”
On Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump demanded Rodriguez “full access” to Venezuela in terms of natural and other resources, while revealing that he is considering reopening the U.S. embassy in Caracas.
In an interview Sunday with The Atlantic, Trump said that if Rodriguez “doesn’t do the right thing” a future “worse” than Maduro’s awaits him.
Maduro and Flores were captured by U.S. forces during the raids in Caracas and three surrounding states, and were brought before a New York federal court on Monday for their first appearance, where they pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The president is accused in the United States of four federal charges: conspiracy to commit narcoterrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess those same devices in support of criminal activities, as well as collaborating with organizations classified as terrorist organizations by Washington.
Archived as: Delcy Rodríguez president of Venezuela
With information from EFE
