Venezuela sworn in as interim leader after Maduro appears in court

Fiona NimoniAnd

Madeleine Halpert

Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president during a parliamentary session that began with demands for the release of deposed leader Nicolas Maduro.

Rodriguez, 56, vice president since 2018, said she was pained by what she called the “kidnapping” of Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, who were captured by U.S. forces in an overnight raid Saturday.

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

Meanwhile, the United States faced heavy 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 “fugitive from justice”.

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

Venezuelan Ambassador Samuel Moncada said his country had been the target of an “illegitimate armed attack devoid of any legal justification.”

The US ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, justified the attack by calling Maduro a “so-called illegitimate president”.

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

Maduro was charged with narcoterrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.

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

Maduro turned to him and replied that he was a “kidnapped president” and a “prisoner of war” before being escorted in chains behind his wife through the back door of the court.

“I am an honest man. I am still president of my country,” Maduro said earlier in the 30-minute hearing.

Judge Alvin Hellerstein, 92, intervened to tell Maduro there would be “a time and a place to address all of this.”

Speaking just hours after Saturday’s attack – which saw more than 150 planes and 200 US troops enter Venezuela – Trump promised that the US would “lead” Venezuela until “a safe, appropriate and wise transition” was possible.

He also promised that American oil companies would come into the country to repair the infrastructure “and start bringing money into the country.”

But despite the US president’s assertions, Maduro’s allies remain in charge.

In comments made Sunday to the US magazine The Atlantic, once it became clear that Rodriguez would be sworn in, Trump warned that she could “pay a very high price, probably higher than Maduro” if she “did not do the right thing”.

At a cabinet meeting, Rodriguez indicated that his government would engage in some cooperation with the United States, saying: “We invite the American government to work with us on a program of cooperation oriented toward shared development within the framework of international law.”

Thousands of Venezuelans gathered in front of the Federal Legislative Palace to show support for Maduro, his wife and interim President Rodriguez during his inauguration.

Speaking after taking the oath of office, Rodriguez told the National Assembly that she did so “with pain” because of the suffering caused by “illegitimate military aggression.”

She pledged to guarantee the country’s peace, “the spiritual tranquility of our people, the economic and social tranquility of our people.”

The assembly also heard from Maduro’s son who expressed support for his parents, saying they “will return” to Venezuela.

He also offered his “unconditional support” to Rodriguez.

The next court hearing in Maduro’s case is scheduled for March 17.