Venezuela moved swiftly to install a new interim leadership on Monday, swearing in Vice President and oil minister Delcy Rodriguez as acting president just as ousted leader Nicolas Maduro appeared before a court in New York on serious drug-related charges. The development followed a dramatic US-backed military operation over the weekend that removed Maduro from power, plunging the country into a new phase of political uncertainty.
Rodriguez, a 56-year-old labour lawyer with long-standing ties to the ruling establishment and close links to sections of the private sector, took the oath of office in Caracas in a ceremony overseen by her brother, Jorge Rodriguez, who heads the National Assembly. Alongside her, 283 lawmakers elected in polls held last May were also sworn in, further consolidating control of the legislature by pro-government forces.
The composition of the new Assembly underscores how marginalised the opposition remains. Only a handful of opposition lawmakers were present, as most opposition groups — including the faction led by Nobel laureate Maria Corina Machado — had boycotted the elections. First Lady Cilia Flores was notably absent from the ceremony, as she remains in US custody following the removal of the Maduro leadership.
According to a recent US intelligence assessment cited by the Wall Street Journal, Rodriguez was viewed in Washington as the most viable figure to head a temporary administration in Maduro’s absence. The assessment reportedly concluded that prominent opposition leaders such as Machado or former presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez would face significant challenges in establishing legitimacy and governing effectively under current conditions.
This assessment appears to have shaped Washington’s approach, at least for now. While many anti-Maduro activists had expected the removal of Maduro to clear the way for the opposition to assume power, President Donald Trump has instead signalled a willingness to work with Rodriguez, effectively sidelining opposition leaders in the immediate transition period.
In Caracas, much of the existing power structure from Maduro’s 13-year rule remains intact. Senior officials continue to run key institutions in the oil-rich nation of roughly 30 million people, oscillating between defiant rhetoric against US intervention and cautious signals of possible cooperation with the Trump administration.
The intelligence review cited by the Wall Street Journal noted that Rodriguez, along with the interior and defence ministers, was among the few figures capable of maintaining basic stability and order in a system dominated by ideological opponents of the United States. This calculation appears to have reinforced Washington’s preference for continuity over a sudden opposition-led transition.
Meanwhile, Jorge Rodriguez was reappointed president of the National Assembly, which remains overwhelmingly loyal to the former Maduro camp. In his remarks, he vowed to pursue every available political and legal avenue to secure Maduro’s return, signalling that despite the change at the top, the ruling establishment has not abandoned its commitment to the deposed leader.
