Who's in charge of running Venezuela?
Executive summary
Nicolás Maduro, long the de facto leader of Venezuela, was captured and flown to the United States in a U.S. military operation on Jan. 3, 2026, according to multiple news reports and U.S. statements [1] [2]. Venezuela’s Supreme Court ordered Vice‑President Delcy Rodríguez to assume the role of acting president, while a small circle of civilian and military leaders close to Maduro publicly signaled continuity of power inside the country, leaving de jure and de facto control contested and fluid [3] [4].
1. The event that changed the chain of command: Maduro’s capture
U.S. President Donald Trump announced that U.S. forces had captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife during strikes in Venezuela and that Maduro had been flown out of the country, a development widely reported by national and international outlets [2] [1] [5].
2. Constitutional response: the Supreme Court’s interim appointment
In the immediate legal response, the Constitutional Chamber of Venezuela’s Supreme Court ordered that Vice‑President Delcy Rodríguez assume the role of acting president in Maduro’s absence, a move reported and confirmed by Reuters and other outlets [3] [6].
3. The inner circle’s public positioning: unity, not collapse
Despite the court order, Delcy Rodríguez appeared on state television flanked by key figures — her brother Jorge Rodríguez, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López — asserting that Maduro remained the country’s president, a joint show of strength that Reuters and CNBC interpreted as evidence the inner ruling coalition was staying united for now [4] [7].
4. The U.S. declaration and its implications for authority
President Trump declared that the United States would “run” Venezuela “until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” signaling an intention by the U.S. executive branch to exercise control over Venezuelan governance in the aftermath of the operation — a claim widely reported by NBC, Reuters and others [8] [5]. The White House also suggested it expected the interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, to cooperate with U.S. demands, though Venezuelan officials publicly rejected that characterization [9].
5. Where real power resided before and how that complicates answers now
For more than a decade, analysts have described Venezuelan power as concentrated in a small circle of senior officials who balance civilian and military interests through patronage, corruption and security organs; those same structures complicate any simple handover of authority after Maduro’s removal, according to Reuters reporting on the country’s governance dynamics [4]. Media coverage also notes uncertainty and signals that some officers and officials might seek to cut deals with the U.S., underscoring fragmentation beneath the public unity [7].
6. The political contest over legitimacy and the day after
International and domestic reactions were sharply divided: U.S. politicians and the White House framed the operation as decisive, while critics warned of the risks of unilateral regime change without congressional approval or allied support [10]; meanwhile Venezuelan opposition leaders such as María Corina Machado — a recent Nobel laureate praised by some Western actors — pushed for alternative leadership but, according to reporting, lacked clear on‑the‑ground support inside Venezuela that Washington would recognize [9] [6].
7. Bottom line: contested control, ambiguous reality
Legally and formally, Venezuela’s Supreme Court has named Delcy Rodríguez acting president [3]; practically, a cadre of Maduro loyalists publicly claims continuity and the U.S. has openly declared its intent to run the country temporarily, creating overlapping and competing claims to authority that leave real governing power uncertain and subject to rapid change [4] [8].