Who is Delcy Rodriguez? Maduro's second-in-command sworn in as Venezuela's acting president
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Who is Delcy Rodriguez? Maduro's second-in-command sworn in as Venezuela's acting president")
Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodriguez, Nicolas Maduro, Donadl Trump Photograph: (Combination created using images from AFP)
Venezuela has sworn in Delcy Rodriguez as interim president, days after the US seized Nicolas Maduro. Backed by the military and ordered into office by a US court, Rodriguez promises cooperation with Washington.
Delcy Rodriguez, on Monday (Jan 5) was sworn in as the interim president of Venezuela, two days after US forces abducted President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores to face trial in New York. Rodriguez was sworn in by the Venezuelan parliament at a ceremony in the National Assembly. The interim president, who has previously indicated that she will cooperate with Washington, told lawmakers she would do so "in the name of all Venezuelans." Following Maduro's capture by US forces, the US Supreme Court on Saturday (Jan 3) ordered Rodriguez to assume the presidency "in an acting capacity." A day later, on Sunday, the nation's military also voiced its support for her.
Maduro, hold on
Monsay's parliamentary session opened with lawmakers chanting "Let's go Nico!" a slogan of Maduro's presidential campaign ahead of the 2024 elections. The Parliament denounced Maduro and Flores's abduction by the US, while vowing support for his stand-in, Rodriguez.
Meanwhile, even as she reiterated that she would cooperate with the US, Rodriguez said she was "in pain over the kidnapping of our heroes, the hostages in the United States". Outside the legislature, citizens gathered by the thousands, chanting, "Maduro, hold on: Venezuela is rising!"
The Venezuelan parliament also reelected Delcy Rodriguez's brother, Jorge Rodriguez, as parliament speaker.
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Trump: Prosecutor, Judge, Policeman?
Senior lawmaker Fernando Soto Rojas, addressing lawmakers, said Trump, who "claims to be the prosecutor, the judge, and the policeman of the world," will not succeed. "We say: you will not succeed. And we will ultimately deploy all our solidarity so that our legitimate president, Nicolas Maduro, returns victorious to Miraflores (presidential palace)," he said.
Who is Delcy Rodriguez?
Delcy Rodriguez, the now-acting president of Venezuela, was Nicolas Maduro's Vice-President. The 56-year-old previously also served as Maduro's oil minister. She is a leading figure of Chavismo, the political movement founded by Chávez and led by Maduro since Chávez died in 2013. Delcy Rodriguez is the daughter of Jorge Antonio Rodríguez, who was arrested in 1976 for his alleged involvement in the abduction of William Niehous, an American businessman. He died in police custody.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump, who ordered Maduro's capture, praised Rodriguez, saying that he believes she is "essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again." However, he ominously warned, "If she doesn't do what's right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro".
