By Ayo Kehinde
Venezuela’s Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) has appointed Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as the country’s acting president following the capture and removal of Nicolás Maduro by United States special forces.
The ruling, delivered late Saturday, January 3, 2026, marks the most significant political upheaval in the South American nation in decades.
In a televised decision, the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court ordered Rodríguez to immediately assume “all the attributions, duties, and faculties inherent to the position of President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.”
The court described the move as essential to ensure government continuity and defend national sovereignty following what it termed a “blatant act of imperialist kidnapping” by the U.S. military.
The capture occurred during “Operation Absolute Resolve,” a pre-dawn strike on Saturday that involved explosions across Caracas and low-flying aircraft.
U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed the mission via Truth Social, sharing a photograph of Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were flown to New York City to face a 2020 narco-terrorism indictment.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that the couple would be prosecuted in the Southern District of New York.
The U.S. government has stated its intention to “run the country” on a temporary basis to ensure a safe transition, creating a direct clash with the Venezuelan Supreme Court’s mandate for Rodríguez.
Opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado released a letter from an undisclosed location, declaring that the “hour of freedom” had arrived.
While she has long supported international pressure on the Maduro regime, she urged for the immediate recognition of Edmundo González Urrutia as the legitimate president based on the disputed 2024 election results.
Despite the Supreme Court’s order, the political future of Caracas remains highly volatile. While the ruling elite attempts to consolidate power under Rodríguez, the presence of U.S. military assets in the Caribbean and President Trump’s declaration of a temporary administrative role for the U.S. suggest a prolonged period of diplomatic and legal confrontation.
