Donald Trump Backs Delcy Rodríguez as Venezuela's Interim Leader
President Donald Trump supports Delcy Rodríguez as interim leader of Venezuela following the U.S.-led capture of Nicolás Maduro in January 2026.
Interim leader Delcy Rodríguez has governed Venezuela for eight months following the capture of Nicolás Maduro by United States special forces on January 3, 2026. Despite the 2024 election victory of opposition leader María Corina Machado, President Donald Trump backed Rodríguez, the former vice-president, to lead the country.
Rodríguez currently shares power in a triumvirate with her brother, Jorge Rodríguez, and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello. Her administration is supported by a massive oil agreement with the United States, which Trump described as the biggest oil deal in world history. Trump has praised Rodríguez's performance and asserted that Venezuela is not yet ready for new elections.
Public perception of Rodríguez remains divided. Supporters view her as a pragmatic technocrat capable of economic revival, while critics describe her as a machiavellian figure and a primary architect of the country's previous slide into authoritarianism.
