Maduro is still Venezuela’s legitimate leader, says acting president

Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, has insisted that Nicolas Maduro remains the legitimate president of the country despite his detention in the United States on federal charges.

In an interview with NBC News, Rodríguez said Maduro continues to be Venezuela’s rightful head of state and described both him and First Lady Cilia Flores as innocent. She said she is exercising presidential duties under the Venezuelan constitution after being sworn in as interim president following Maduro’s capture early last month by US forces.

Maduro is being held in a federal detention facility in New York and has pleaded not guilty to four serious charges, including drug-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices.

At his first court appearance, he declared himself innocent and said he remains the president of Venezuela.

Rodríguez said she assumed responsibility under Venezuela’s constitution and stressed her claim to authority despite the ongoing legal process in the US. She confirmed that she has spoken with US President Donald Trump and said she might visit the United States in connection with efforts to stabilise Venezuela’s oil sector.

In the interview, Rodríguez also dismissed concerns over the safety of opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who has been a vocal critic of Maduro’s government and met Trump recently, giving him her Nobel Peace Prize medal during a White House visit. Rodríguez questioned why there was widespread focus on Machado’s well-being and said that she must answer to Venezuelans for her actions.

The developments follow a dramatic shift in Venezuelan politics after the US military operation and Maduro’s removal from Caracas, with Rodríguez now leading the government and maintaining that Maduro’s legitimacy as president has not been nullified despite his detention abroad.