Interim Leader Tells Venezuela Maduro Remains Its President
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, then Constituent National Assembly President Delcy Rodriguez, left, and first lady Cilia Flores arrive to the National Assembly, in Caracas in May 2018. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)
Interim President Delcy Rodríguez delivered a defiant televised address to Venezuela on Saturday, condemning what she described as a U.S. attack and asserting that Nicolás Maduro remains the country’s legitimate leader. “There is only one president in this country, and his name is Nicolás Maduro Moros,” Rodríguez said.
Earlier that day, President Trump said Rodríguez had agreed to assist U.S. forces in governing Venezuela after Maduro was removed from power and sent to New York. Rodríguez strongly rejected that claim, calling the U.S. action “an unprecedented military aggression” aimed at forcing regime change. She said the true objective was to allow the United States to take control of Venezuela’s energy, mineral, and natural resources, according to the New York Times. “The world and the international community must know this,” she said.
Rodríguez, who was sworn in earlier Saturday, announced that she had convened a national defense council made up of senior government and military officials, the Washington Post reported. During her address, she introduced each official, who visibly showed support as she demanded Maduro’s release and reaffirmed that he remains Venezuela’s rightful president. After the speech, the state broadcaster clarified that Rodríguez is the nation’s vice president and emphasized that Maduro is still considered president by the government.
Rodríguez said Venezuela remains open to a respectful relationship with the Trump administration, provided it follows international and Venezuelan law. “If there is one thing the Venezuelan people are clear about,” she said, “it is that we will never again be slaves or a colony of any empire, regardless of its nature.”
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