Venezuela's Supreme Court Appoints Delcy Rodríguez As Acting President After US Captures Maduro

Last Updated:January 04, 2026, 08:14 IST

Venezuela's SC named Delcy Rodríguez acting President after US airstrikes killed 40. Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores were captured by US forces for narcoterrorism charges.

The Constitutional Chamber of Venezuela's Supreme Court ordered on Saturday that Vice President Delcy Rodríguez assume the role of acting president of the country in the absence of Nicolás Maduro. (X)

Venezuela’s Supreme Court has appointed Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as acting President. This comes a day after US launched airstrikes in Venezuela, killing 40 people.

According to Reuters. the Constitutional Chamber of Venezuela’s Supreme Court ordered on Saturday that Vice President Delcy Rodríguez assume the role of acting president of the country in the absence of Nicolás Maduro.

The ruling said Rodríguez would assume “the office of President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in order to guarantee administrative continuity and the comprehensive defense of the Nation".

The ruling added that the court will debate the matter in order to “determine the applicable legal framework to guarantee the continuity of the State, the administration of government, and the defense of sovereignty in the face of the forced absence of the President of the Republic".

At least 40 people, including military personnel and civilians, were killed in the US attack on Venezuela on early Saturday, according to a senior Venezuelan official.

On Saturday, US President Donald Trump told Fox News that no American troops were killed but some service members were injured.

New York Times quoted Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, saying at a news conference at Mar-a-Lago with Trump that US helicopters moving to extract President Nicolás Maduro and his wife had come under fire. He further said that one helicopter was hit but “remained flyable," and that all US aircraft “came home".

Following the attacks, local media reported death of a Venezuelan civilian in Catia La Mar, a low-income coastal area just west of the Caracas airport, and an airstrike on a three-story civilian apartment complex killing 80-year-old Rosa González and seriously injuring a person.

On Saturday, US President Donald Trump confirmed that American special forces had successfully captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, during a series of precision strikes. The operation, which targeted military hubs like Fort Tiuna, has resulted in the rendition of the Venezuelan leadership to face narcoterrorism charges in a New York federal court.

News world Venezuela's Supreme Court Appoints Delcy Rodríguez As Acting President After US Captures Maduro

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