Who will take over venezuala after maduro
Executive summary
A short legal answer: under Venezuela’s constitution the vice president would assume the presidency in the event of an “absolute absence” of the president, which points to Delcy Rodríguez as the immediate constitutional successor [1]. A practical answer: reality is uncertain — Rodríguez’s whereabouts and willingness, the armed forces’ power centers (notably Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino López), an emboldened U.S. posture and exile opposition figures like Edmundo González or María Corina Machado all compete to determine who actually governs next [2] [3] [4] [5].
1. Constitutional line — vice president is first in line
The Venezuelan constitution’s Article 233 establishes that if the presidency is vacated the executive vice president assumes power on an interim basis and a new election must be called within 30 days if the absence occurs in the first four years of a term, a framework that places the vice presidency — currently Delcy Rodríguez — at the top of legal succession [1] [6]. Multiple outlets note this constitutional route as the starting point for any transition narrative, and that Rodríguez is the presumptive successor under domestic law [1] [2].
2. Ground truth — military and security chiefs will be decisive
Constitutional language matters less if the armed forces and security apparatus choose otherwise; Venezuela’s military has long been central to political power, and Defence Minister Padrino López is a key Maduro ally now overseeing national security under emergency conditions, giving him de facto influence over who controls state institutions in Caracas [3]. Reporting emphasizes that a power vacuum can be filled by the military leadership or “Chavismo” figures coordinating a handover, meaning the defence establishment could shape, block or endorse a vice-presidential succession [3] [1].
3. The opposition and exiles — plausible claimants but constrained
Exiled opposition figures such as Edmundo González — who many observers saw as the opposition’s 2024/2025 presidential contender and who sought asylum abroad — as well as prominent opposition leader María Corina Machado have public profiles that could position them as transitional leaders in the eyes of some foreign governments and domestic activists, but they lack immediate control of state institutions and the security forces to “take over” in the short term [4] [5]. News outlets caution that international recognition alone does not translate into governance on the ground, especially amid competing claims and institutional paralysis [4].
4. U.S. involvement and its claim to run a transition
U.S. statements after the operation announced the capture of Maduro indicated Washington intends to “run Venezuela until a ‘safe transition’” and to be “very strongly involved” in the country’s oil industry and political outcome, a posture that suggests the U.S. will be an active external arbiter of succession even as its actions draw accusations of illegality and set a controversial precedent [7] [2]. That involvement can tip the scales for some political actors while provoking domestic resistance and complicating legitimacy debates [8] [2].
5. Two parallel realities — legal successor vs. practical successor
The clearest near-term reality is a split between the formal, constitutional line (Delcy Rodríguez as interim president) and the practical determinants of power (military loyalty, U.S. intervention, and which domestic opposition figures can mobilize institutions or international recognition) — sources repeatedly describe the situation as a power vacuum and warn that whoever controls the military and state apparatuses will likely determine day-to-day governance regardless of constitutional claims [1] [2] [3]. Given conflicting reports about Rodríguez’s location and the absence of confirmation about Maduro’s status, a period of contested authority appears likely, with outcomes ranging from a Rodríguez-led interim, a military-managed junta, an externally guided transitional authority backed by the U.S., or a fractured stalemate that empowers regional actors and exile politicians [9] [2] [7].
Conclusion — who will take over?
Legally, Delcy Rodríguez is next in line [1]; practically, control will go to the actor or coalition that secures the armed forces, state institutions and crucial international backing — whether that is Rodríguez with military backing, Defence Minister Padrino López or other senior officers, a U.S.-backed transitional council, or a contested split that lets exiled opposition figures claim legitimacy without immediate governing power [3] [2] [7] [4]. The reporting makes plain that the formal answer is simple, but the real answer will be decided by force, alliances and recognition in the messy days ahead [1] [3] [8].