Venezuela VP Delcy Rodriguez gives first remarks after US strike that captured Nicolas Maduro

CARACAS, VENEZUELA: Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodriguez delivered her first public remarks within hours of President Nicolas Maduro’s capture, striking a defiant tone and accusing the United States of acting with what she described as a “Zionist tint.”

The remarks were made during an emergency session of Venezuela’s National Defense Council, convened late Friday as tensions escalated across the country.

Speaking alongside senior regime officials on January 3, Rodriguez demanded the immediate release of Maduro and his wife, first lady Cilia Flores, while announcing the activation of the military and calling on Venezuelans to mobilize in the streets.

Delcy Rodriguez convenes emergency defense council after Nicolas Maduro's capture

Rodriguez chaired the emergency meeting as images and reports of Maduro’s detention circulated globally. She framed the US operation as an assault on Venezuela’s sovereignty, repeatedly asserting that Washington’s actions were driven by economic interests rather than legal accountability.

According to Rodriguez, the US intervention was motivated by Venezuela’s vast energy resources, accusing American officials of seeking to seize control of the nation’s oil wealth. In her address, she said the operation to depose Maduro carried a “Zionist tint,” a phrase that quickly drew international attention and condemnation.

The vice president also announced that Venezuelan armed forces had been deployed across major cities, signaling a heightened state of alert. She urged supporters of the government to take to the streets, portraying the moment as a defining struggle for national independence.

Demand for proof of life follows Trump's confirmation

Earlier in the day, Rodriguez appeared in audio broadcast on Venezuelan state television, demanding that the US government provide proof that Maduro and Flores were alive following President Donald Trump’s announcement that the pair had been captured during a military operation.

“We demand that President Donald Trump’s government provide immediate proof of life for President Maduro and the First Lady,” Rodriguez said, according to Reuters.

Trump later shared an image on Truth Social showing Maduro blindfolded aboard the USS Iwo Jima, clutching a water bottle and dressed in gray sweatpants and a sweatshirt. The President said Maduro would be transported to New York to face charges.

Confusion swirls over Delcy Rodriguez’s location

As Rodriguez addressed the nation, reports emerged suggesting that she herself was no longer in Venezuela. Four sources familiar with her movements told Reuters that the vice president was currently in Russia, though Moscow’s foreign ministry dismissed the report as “fake.”

The uncertainty surrounding Rodriguez’s whereabouts added to the chaos following Maduro’s removal, with questions mounting over who is effectively in control of the Venezuelan government.

Meanwhile, Rodriguez’s brother, Jorge Rodriguez, who serves as the head of Venezuela’s National Assembly, remains in Caracas, according to multiple sources.

Trump signals US role in Venezuela’s transition

Asked about Venezuela’s future without Maduro, Trump said during an interview on Fox & Friends Weekend that decisions were still being made.

“We can’t take a chance of letting somebody else run and just take over where he left off,” Trump said. “So we’re making that decision now. We’ll be involved in it very much, and we want to do liberty for the people.”

Trump later confirmed during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, that the United States would temporarily oversee Venezuela’s administration, framing the move as necessary to stabilize the country after years of what he described as dictatorship.

Opposition figures emerge as potential successors

With Maduro detained, attention has turned to potential successors. Political analysts say Maria Corina Machado and Edmundo Gonzalez, both opposition leaders and recipients of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, are likely candidates to lead a transitional government.

Jorge Jraissati, president of the Economic Inclusion Group, told Fox News Digital that Machado and Gonzalez are positioned to guide Venezuela through a political reset.

“Machado and Gonzalez would assume a transitional government in Venezuela,” Jraissati said, emphasizing the need for international support and internal reconciliation.