Delcy Rodríguez delivered a politically charged speech on Monday, just hours after Donald Trump ignited social media by proclaiming himself “interim president of Venezuela” in a viral post.
From Catia La Mar, one of the areas hardest hit by what she called the "illicit and illegal aggression" of the United States government, the interim Venezuelan president responded without directly mentioning Trump, but with clear allusions to the image circulated by the American leader, which simulated a Wikipedia page placing him at the forefront of the South American country.
"I have seen caricatures about who is in charge in Venezuela," said Rodríguez during the inauguration of the new headquarters of the Pedro Camejo National School in the César Nieves sector.
“There is a government in charge in Venezuela. There is a president in charge and a president held hostage in the United States,” he stated, referring to Nicolás Maduro, who was captured and taken to New York following the recent U.S. military operation.
The leader insisted that political power in the country is exercised “together with the organized people and popular power,” and stated that her government is progressing in international relations based on respect and legality, with the aim of “protecting the rights of our beloved Venezuela.”
The statement comes after Trump posted on Truth Social an image depicting him as the “acting president of Venezuela since January 2026”, a gesture that sparked a wave of reactions both within and outside the country.
Although the publication lacks legal recognition and international support, it reinforced the perception that the United States seeks to take on a leading role—openly and without hesitation—in Venezuela's political future.
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