Caracas: Following the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicol¡s Maduro by US special forces at the weekend, his successor Delcy Rodrguez was sworn in as acting president on Monday. She took the oath of office in the National Assembly in the capital Caracas, reports said. 'I will not rest until peace and tranquillity are guaranteed for the republic,' the 56-year-old stated during her swearing-in ceremony, conducted by her brother, parliamentary speaker Jorge Rodrguez.
According to Ghana News Agency, Delcy Rodrguez was entrusted with running government affairs by the Supreme Court after Maduro was seized and flown out of the South American country to the US in a pre-dawn operation on Saturday. Her brother, Jorge Rodrguez, a left-wing politician, was re-elected as president of the National Assembly amid the acute government crisis caused by the US operation. The 60-year-old psychiatrist has been elected to lead the parliament until 2031.
The Rodrguez siblings belong to Venezuela's political elite, with Jorge Rodrguez having previously served as head of the election authority, vice president, and communications minister. Their father, Jorge Antonio Rodrguez, is regarded as a martyr of the left-wing movement in Venezuela, following his death in police custody in 1976 under controversial circumstances. Delcy Rodrguez has been a loyal figure in Maduro's inner circle, previously serving as foreign minister and vice president, shaping a confrontational course with the US.
Despite initially taking a hard line after the US attack, Delcy Rodrguez later showed willingness to cooperate with the US. She extended an invitation to the US government to collaborate on a cooperation agenda oriented towards shared development within the framework of international law. However, the Venezuelan government continues to consider Maduro as the legitimate head of state, criticizing his arrest by the US as a violation of international law.
The Venezuelan constitution stipulates that in the event of the president's permanent absence, the vice president takes over duties and calls new elections within 30 days. It remains unclear if the new leadership considers the current situation as such a permanent absence. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump indicated that new elections in Venezuela are not a priority, stating that the US will manage and fix the situation, with elections to be held at an appropriate time.