Appointment of Delcy Rodríguez to assume the presidency of Venezuela on an interim basis

The Constitutional Chamber of the Venezuelan Supreme Court, today Sunday, tasked Vice President Delcy Rodríguez with assuming the position of president on an interim basis in the absence of Nicolás Maduro, who was arrested early Saturday in Caracas during an operation carried out by American forces.

The court's decision stipulates that Rodríguez, in her capacity as interim president, shall assume all the duties and powers granted to the position of President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in order to ensure the continuity of administration and the comprehensive defense of the homeland, as stated by the head of the Constitutional Chamber, Tania D'Amelio, during the reading of the decision in an official television broadcast.

The judges have not yet declared Maduro absent permanently, which would have led to early elections within 30 days.

Yesterday Saturday, Rodríguez demanded the immediate release of Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, affirming that Maduro is the "only president" of the country, in a televised speech broadcast by the official television following a meeting of the National Defense Council.

During the speech, she indicated that the Venezuelan people responded to the mobilization call that President Maduro had announced previously, confirming the descent of popular cadres into the streets, and the deployment of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces and citizen security agencies, within the framework of what she described as the defense of national independence and sovereignty after a "brutal attack" that the country suffered early Saturday.

It is worth noting that Maduro arrived in the United States on Saturday evening local time after being arrested by American forces during a military operation in Caracas, and it is expected that he will appear before a federal court in Manhattan, New York City, tomorrow Monday.