Venezuela Interim President: Delcy Rodríguez Takes Reins After Maduro Ousted
By: Abudu Olalekan
Everything in Venezuela just went from crazy to completely unbelievable. You think you’ve seen it all in politics, then something like this happens. Late on Saturday, the Supreme Court in Caracas made a massive move. They officially named Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez as the interim leader of the country. This didn’t just happen out of nowhere. It’s because the United States actually seized President Nicolas Maduro and flew him out of the country. Yes, you read that right.
The high court was very clear about why they did this. They ruled that Rodríguez must “assume and exercise” all the powers of the Presidency immediately. Why? To keep the government from falling apart. They called it “administrative continuity.” Basically, they are trying to keep the lights on and the borders safe while their actual President is currently sitting in New York. Reportersroom followed the details closely as the court explained that they need to determine a legal framework for this “forced absence” of Maduro. It’s a total mess.
Then you have Donald Trump. He spoke from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and he didn’t mince words. He basically told the world that the US is going to run Venezuela for a while. “We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said. It sounds like he wants to avoid the same old cycle they’ve had for years. But honestly, it’s a bit confusing. How do you run a whole sovereign nation when their own military and legislature are still there and they really don’t like you?
Trump didn’t give many specifics on the “how” part. But he did mention oil. A lot of it. He wants big US oil companies to go in there and spend billions. The goal is to fix the “badly broken” infrastructure. He thinks this will start making money for the country again. But wait, he also said the embargo on Venezuelan oil stays in place for now. It’s a bit of a contradiction if you ask me. US forces are also staying on high alert.
Meanwhile, poor Maduro. His plane landed at New York’s Stewart airport around 5pm. Reportersroom learned he’s being moved to New York City. Imagine being the President one day and a prisoner in New York the next. The speed of this is just wild. Trump says this whole intervention is being handled by a “group” of senior US officials. He insists that the people of Venezuela will be “taken care of” in the end.
The Supreme Court in Venezuela is obviously trying to fight back. By naming Delcy Rodríguez, they are saying, “Hey, we are still a country and we have our own leaders.” Rodríguez is a tough character. She has been by Maduro’s side for a long time. Now, she is the one holding the steering wheel while the car is flying off a cliff. Will the military follow her? That’s the big question everyone is asking.
It feels like a movie plot. One country just grabs the leader of another and says, “We’re in charge now.” But this is real life. The tension in Caracas is probably through the roof right now. People are wondering if there’s going to be a war or if things will just change overnight. Trump seems confident, but the world is watching with its mouth open. It’s a high-stakes gamble with millions of lives in the middle. We just have to wait and see if Rodríguez can actually hold the nation together or if the US plan takes over.
