Who is Delcy Rodríguez? Venezuela’s VP named Interim President after Maduro’s capture

Venezuela’s Supreme Court on late Saturday night directed Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to become the country's interim leader, following the United States’ seizure of President Nicolás Maduro and his removal from the country.

In its ruling, the court instructed Rodríguez to “assume and exercise, in an acting capacity, all the attributes, duties and powers inherent to the office of President...to guarantee administrative continuity and the comprehensive defense of the nation.” The judges stopped short of declaring Maduro permanently absent from office, a ruling that requires holding elections within 30 days.

Earlier on Saturday, Venezuela’s vice president said President Nicolas Maduro remains the country’s only legitimate leader, pushing back against US claims of a leadership change.

“There is only one president in Venezuela, and his name is Nicols Maduro Moros,” Rodríguez said.

Who is Delcy Rodriguez?

Born in Caracas on May 18, 1969, Delcy Rodríguez is 56 years old and comes from a deeply political family. She is the daughter of Jorge Antonio Rodríguez, a left-wing guerrilla leader who founded the Liga Socialista party in the 1970s. Her brother, Jorge Rodríguez, currently heads Venezuela’s National Assembly, and the siblings work closely within the government’s power structure.

An attorney by training, Rodríguez graduated from the Universidad Central de Venezuela and advanced swiftly through senior political roles over the past decade. She served as Minister of Communication and Information between 2013 and 2014 before moving to the foreign ministry, a post she held from 2014 to 2017.

During her tenure as foreign minister, Rodríguez became known internationally for her confrontational style, including an attempt to crash a Mercosur trade bloc meeting in Buenos Aires after Venezuela had been suspended from the grouping.

In 2017, she was appointed head of the pro-government Constituent Assembly, a body that strengthened Maduro’s authority. A year later, in June 2018, Maduro named her vice president, describing her at the time as a resilient revolutionary shaped by years of political struggle.

Rodríguez has since emerged as one of the most influential figures in Venezuela’s economic management. Holding the finance and oil portfolios alongside the vice presidency, she has overseen policy aimed at containing hyperinflation using orthodox economic measures and maintaining ties with the country’s weakened private sector.

In August 2024, Maduro formally added the oil ministry to her responsibilities, tasking her with navigating tightening US sanctions on Venezuela’s most critical industry.