Caracas (Web Desk/Agencies): Venezuela’s legislature on Monday formally installed Delcy Rodríguez as interim president, placing her at the helm of the country just 48 hours after US forces detained Nicolás Maduro and transferred him to New York to stand trial.
The sudden shift in leadership followed an American military operation that sent shockwaves through Caracas and far beyond.
Rodríguez, who has indicated she is open to working with Washington, took her oath during a session of the National Assembly, telling lawmakers that she was assuming the responsibility on behalf of the entire Venezuelan people.
Her address was marked by emotion as she spoke of what she described as the suffering caused by the detention of “our heroes,” referring to Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, both facing drug-related charges in the United States.
Members of parliament sharply criticized Maduro’s capture, calling it an unacceptable act against the nation, while simultaneously pledging their loyalty to Rodríguez as she steps in for the detained leader following the US action that stunned the country and drew global attention.
Outside the assembly building, large crowds gathered in protest, demanding Maduro’s release. Supporters waved flags and shouted slogans urging him to remain strong, declaring that Venezuela was rising in his defense.
Inside the chamber, lawmakers offered unanimous support to Rodríguez, who had served as Maduro’s vice president before his arrest.
They also voted to keep her brother, Jorge Rodríguez, in his role as head of the National Assembly. As the session got underway, legislators repeated a chant closely associated with Maduro’s 2024 presidential campaign, an election that the opposition and many governments, including the United States, have denounced as fraudulent.
Maduro’s detention followed orders from US President Donald Trump, after American forces launched strikes on Caracas early Saturday before seizing Maduro and Flores and transporting them to New York to face drug trafficking charges.
Speaking during the parliamentary session, senior lawmaker Fernando Soto Rojas accused Washington of overstepping its authority, saying the US president was acting as prosecutor, judge, and global enforcer all at once.
He promised unwavering support for Maduro, whom he described as Venezuela’s legitimate leader, until his return to Miraflores Palace.
Tensions later flared near the presidential palace, with witnesses reporting gunfire late Monday. A source close to the government said unidentified drones had been spotted over the Miraflores complex, prompting security forces to open fire, though officials said the situation was quickly brought under control.
Meanwhile in New York, the 63-year-old Maduro appeared in federal court in Manhattan dressed in prison attire.
Listening through headphones, he pleaded not guilty to four charges, including narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, and possession of machine guns and other prohibited weapons.
Through an interpreter, he declared his innocence and insisted that he remained the president of Venezuela before being interrupted by US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein. Flores also entered a not-guilty plea, and the next court hearing was scheduled for March 17.
US prosecutors allege that Maduro oversaw a large-scale cocaine trafficking network that worked in coordination with violent organizations such as Mexico’s Sinaloa and Zetas cartels, Colombia’s FARC rebels, and Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang. Maduro has consistently rejected the accusations, maintaining that he has committed no crimes.