Delcy Rodriguez to become acting President of Venezuela after Nicolas Maduro's capture by US—10 key updates

Vice President Delcy Rodriguez is all set to become the acting President of Venezuela, with the South American country's Supreme Court ordering her to take charge in Nicolas Maduro's absence.

The Constitutional Chamber of Venezuela's Supreme Court on Saturday ordered VP Rodriguez to assume the role following Maduro's detention by American forces in a military operation unilaterally sanctioned by US President Donald Trump.

The court ruling said that 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," reported Reuters.

The ruling added that the Supreme 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.”

The development comes after Trump earlier said that his administration would coordinate with Rodriguez on running the South American country following Maduro's capture.

“She’s essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again,” the US President was quoted as saying by CNBC, shortly after announcing Maduro's capture.

Despite Trump's suggestion that Rodriguez was willing to cooperate with his administration on running Venezuela, the 56-year-old has yet to indicate the same.

Shortly after Maduro's capture, Rodriguez convened a National Defense Council session, calling for the “immediate release” of the Venezuelan President and his wife Celia Flores.

Calling the US operation on Venezuelan soil a blatant violation of the South American country's sovereignty and international law, Rodriguez said, “We call on the peoples of the great homeland to remain united, because what was done to Venezuela can be done to anyone. That brutal use of force to bend the will of the people can be carried out against any country.”

A trusted Maduro aide

Rodriguez, apart from being Maduro's deputy since 2018, is also the finance and oil minister of Venezuela, and had faced US sanctions during Trump’s first presidency for her alleged role in undermining Venezuelan democracy.

The 56-year-old became VP after spending more than two decades as one of the leading figures of chavismo, the political movement founded by Maduro's mentor President Hugo Chavez, as per a report by CNN.

When Maduro took over the movement, and the presidency, following Chavez's death in 2013, he appointed Rodriguez as his minister of communication and information, before elevating her to the post of foreign minister, a role she used to defend Maduro's government against international criticism.

Commenting on Rodriguez's relationship with the now-captured Venezuelan President, a political analyst told CNN that she enjoyed Maduro's “full trust”.

“The executive vice president of the republic is a highly effective operator, a woman with strong leadership skills for managing teams,” constitutional lawyer and political analyst José Manuel Romano was quoted as saying by CNN.

“She is very results-oriented and has significant influence over the entire government apparatus, including the Ministry of Defense. That is very important to note in the current circumstances,” Romano added.

Latest updates from Venezuela

• The US, early on Saturday, carried out Operation Absolute Resolve, attacking Venezuela in the wee hours and capturing Maduro and his wife Celia Flores.
• No US soldiers were killed in the attack, but Venezuelan officials claimed that at least 40 civilians and members of security forces were killed in the US attack.
• Following their capture, Maduro and his wife were brought to the US, with Attorney General Pam Bondi announcing that they had been indicted in New York.
• Maduro and his wife face a litany of charges, including charges related to drug trafficking and narco-terrorism.
• Late on Saturday, Maduro and his wife landed in New York, where they are set to be jailed pending trial.
• It is currently unclear whether their trial will take place in New York or Florida.
• Maduro and his wife currently remain in the custody of the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).
• Following his capture, Maduro's first words were, “Good night! Happy New Year”, with a picture showing the Venezuelan President making a thumbs up gesture.
• The US has said that it will run Venezuela till a proper transition of power, though the details of how this will happen remains unclear. Trump has also said US firms could develop Venezuela's oil reserves, the largest in the world.
• The international community has largely condemned the US attack on Venezuela.