Delcy Rodríguez sworn in as Venezuela’s interim leader after Maduro's capture

Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in on Monday as Venezuela’s interim leader after U.S. forces seized President Nicolás Maduro, the Venezuelan Supreme Court declared her acting president, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López said. Ms. Rodríguez, a 56-year-old leftist and longtime confidante of Mr.

Maduro, has been a central political operator since the early 2000s. She entered public life after the 2002 coup attempt against Hugo Chávez, briefly occupied the Venezuelan Embassy in London in protest, and later served in Mr. Chávez’s foreign ministry. Under Mr. Maduro she rose through the ranks as communications minister, foreign minister, vice president after the 2018 election, head of an intelligence service and, in 2020, economy minister.

She has been credited with guiding Venezuela’s economy toward a largely free-market model, a shift that earned respect in some corners of the Trump administration, according to the report, even as the country suffered hyperinflation of over 100 percent. Ms. Rodríguez has taken care to protect the oil industry, which the report says brought in foreign investment and modestly increased production after earlier struggles.

The political test ahead is described as fraught: she must solidify power and placate an anxious public that often views Mr. Maduro’s rule as illegitimate but also distrusts U.S. influence. In a televised speech she said in Spanish that “history and justice will make them pay” and said the United States had kidnapped him.

Key Topics

Politics, Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, Venezuelan Supreme Court, Vladimir Padrino Lopez