Venezuela swears in interim leader after Maduro appears in court

Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president during a parliamentary session that began with the demand for the release of ousted leader Nicolás Maduro from US custody.

Rodríguez, 56, who has been vice president since 2018, said he was pained by what he called the “kidnapping” of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were captured in an overnight raid by US forces on Saturday.

Inside dramatic scenes Two hours earlier, in a New York courtroom, Maduro insisted he was still Venezuela’s president, pleading not guilty to four charges related to drug trafficking and terrorism.

Meanwhile, the US faced harsh criticism at the UN, but the US ambassador said the world’s largest energy reserves could not be left in the hands of an illegitimate leader, a leader who was “a fugitive from justice”.

Before his court appearance, the UN Security Council held an emergency meeting to discuss the situation in Venezuela.

Venezuelan Ambassador Samuel Moncada said his country was the target of “an illegitimate armed attack with no legal justification.”

US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz justified the attack by describing Maduro as an “illegitimate so-called president”.

Waltz added that the United States carried out a “surgical law enforcement operation” to capture Maduro, whom he also called “a fugitive from justice.”

Maduro is charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.

While appearing in court Monday afternoon, a member of the public began shouting in Spanish at Maduro, saying he would “pay” for what he had done.

Maduro turned to him and told him that he was a “kidnapped president” and a “prisoner of war” and was then led in shackles behind his wife through the back courtyard door.

During the 30-minute hearing, Maduro said, “I am a decent man. I am still the president of my country.”

Judge Alvin Hellerstein, 92, intervened to tell Maduro that “there will be a time and place to get into all this.”

Speaking just hours after Saturday’s attack, which saw more than 150 planes and 200 US personnel enter Venezuela, Trump promised that the US would “manage” Venezuela until a “safe, appropriate and reasonable passage” was possible.

He also promised that US oil companies would move into the country to repair infrastructure and “start making money for the country.”

But despite the US president’s claims, Maduro’s allies remain in office.

In a statement to US magazine The Atlantic on Sunday, when it became clear that Rodríguez would be sworn in, Trump warned that he could “pay a very big price” if he did not “do the right thing”; “He probably could have paid a bigger price than Maduro.”

During the cabinet meeting, Rodríguez stated that his government would engage in some cooperation with the United States, saying: “We invite the US government to cooperate with us on a cooperation agenda for common development within the framework of international law.”

Thousands of Venezuelans gathered outside the Federal Legislative Palace to show support for Maduro, his wife and interim president Rodriguez as he was sworn in.

Speaking after being sworn in, Rodríguez told the National Assembly that he did so “in pain” for the suffering caused by the “illegitimate military attack.”

He promised to guarantee the peace of the country, “the spiritual peace of our people, the economic and social peace of our people.”

The assembly also heard from Maduro’s son, who said he supported his parents and said they would “go back” to Venezuela.

He also offered Rodríguez “unconditional support”.

The next hearing in the Maduro case will be held on March 17.