Delcy Rodriguez named Venezuela’s acting President following Maduro arrest

Shafaq News– Caracas

Venezuela’s Supreme Court on Sunday directed Vice President Delcy Rodriguez to step into the role of acting president after President Nicolas Maduro was taken into custody during an operation carried out by US forces in Caracas.

In a ruling released by its constitutional chamber, the court mapped out plans to assess the unfolding situation and set out a legal framework intended to preserve state continuity, administer government affairs, and protect the country’s sovereignty under what it described as exceptional conditions.

The move came hours after Rodriguez pressed for the immediate release of the president and his wife, Cilia Flores, while maintaining that Maduro remains the country’s “only president.”

She also urged Venezuelans to remain calm and united, pointing to the government’s readiness for dialogue and for forging relations rooted in mutual respect and international law.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump declared that the United States would take control of Venezuela. In recent months, pressure from Washington on the South American country has steadily intensified, with US forces carrying out more than 35 strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels, leaving at least 115 people dead. The campaign has also included the seizure of oil tankers and the imposition of a naval blockade.