Venezuela’s Supreme Court has appointed Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as interim president, ordering her to assume executive authority amid dramatic and contested reports that President Nicolás Maduro has been captured and removed from the country during a United States military operation.
In a ruling issued on Saturday, the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court said Rodríguez’s temporary elevation was necessary to ensure administrative continuity and safeguard national security while uncertainty persists over Maduro’s status. The court stressed that the measure was provisional and designed to prevent a vacuum of authority during what it described as an “exceptional national crisis”.
According to the judgment, Rodríguez is empowered to carry out the duties of acting president pending clarification of the circumstances surrounding Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, whose whereabouts have become the subject of intense international scrutiny.
Addressing the nation in a televised broadcast shortly after the ruling, Rodríguez denounced the reported operation as an illegal act of foreign aggression and accused Washington of violating Venezuela’s sovereignty. She demanded that the United States provide proof of life for both Maduro and the First Lady, insisting that Maduro remains the country’s legitimate, constitutionally elected president.
“This is a moment that calls for calm, unity and the defence of our independence,” Rodríguez said, urging Venezuelans to rally behind state institutions as legal and diplomatic channels are pursued.
The U.S. President, Donald Trump, said Washington would “run” Venezuela until what he described as a “safe, proper and judicious transition” could be achieved. U.S. authorities have claimed that Maduro and Flores were flown out of Venezuela and are being transported to New York, where they are expected to face federal charges including narcoterrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation and weapons-related offences.
Caracas has been placed on high alert, with security forces and key state institutions bracing for further developments. The unfolding situation has deepened political tensions in the capital, already strained by years of economic collapse, sanctions and institutional paralysis.
International reaction has been sharply divided. Leaders in Argentina publicly welcomed the reported detention of Maduro, framing it as a turning point for the region. By contrast, Brazil, Mexico and Russia condemned the U.S. action, describing it as a flagrant breach of international law and warning that it could set a dangerous precedent for foreign intervention.
