What happens next in Venezuela After Maduro's overthrow, Trump is already facing new resistance

Following the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro by US special forces, the political situation in Venezuela is unclear. While Washington announces a transition, the government in Caracas is declaring resistance - and relying on an interim president.

Keystone-SDA

04.01.2026, 04:27

04.01.2026, 08:07

SDA

Following the violent ousting of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by the USA, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez is taking over the leadership of the country, according to local media reports. This was ordered by Venezuela's Supreme Court.

US President Donald Trump had previously declared that the USA wanted to temporarily take over power in the South American country. Rodríguez was prepared to cooperate. However, the latter was unbending after his statement.

"There is only one president in this country and his name is Nicolás Maduro Moros," she said, surrounded by ministers and military officers at a meeting of the National Defense Council. The presiding judge, Tania D'Amelio, declared that Rodríguez was assuming the office of president on an interim basis in order to ensure the continuity of the government and defense of the nation, as reported by the two local media outlets "El Universal" and "El Nacional".

Maduro goes on trial in New York

Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were arrested by special forces during a US military operation on Saturday and brought to the USA. They are being held in a detention center in New York. A video distributed by the White House on the X platform showed Maduro being led away in handcuffs and surrounded by officers from the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in a corridor of the building. He and his wife are accused of "conspiracy to commit drug terrorism" and "conspiracy to import cocaine", among other things. According to US media, Maduro is due to appear in court shortly.

According to US media, protests against the military operation took place in several cities , including New York, Los Angeles and Washington. According to the New York Times, demonstrators in Chicago protested with banners reading "No blood for oil" or "Hands off Latin America", among other things. In front of the White House, posters read "Trump is a war criminal" and "No US war against Venezuela", as photos showed.

At the same time, according to US media, there were also gatherings of Venezuelan exiles in many places in the country celebrating Maduro's overthrow. Dozens of Venezuelans also gathered near the prison in the New York borough of Brooklyn, where Maduro will initially be held, often with the flag of their home country, as photos showed.

What happens next in Venezuela?

What happens next in Venezuela is uncertain. "We will continue to run the country until we can ensure a safe, orderly and prudent transition," Trump told journalists at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. "We're not afraid of ground troops. And we have to have them, we had ground troops on the ground last night. We're going to make sure this country is governed properly," he said. It is unclear how he intends to do this.

Despite the overnight "Absolute Resolve" military operation, in which at least 40 people were killed, including military personnel and civilians, according to US media reports, US forces have no control over the South American country itself. Rodríguez, who is assuming provisional leadership, announced determined resistance to the US attack. "We will never be slaves again."

Rodríguez wants to put up resistance

Trump had previously said: "We just had a conversation with her, and she is basically willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again, quite simply." So far, however, there is no indication of this. Rodríguez is considered one of the most loyal figures in Maduro's center of power. As foreign minister (2014-2017), the 56-year-old lawyer shaped the confrontational course against the USA, which she continued as vice president.

Following the US military operation, Rodríguez demanded the immediate release of Maduro and his wife. Her government accused the USA of violating the United Nations Charter. The USA's aim is to appropriate Venezuela's natural resources - such as its large oil reserves - and force a change of government. "They will not succeed," it said.

According to US President Trump, major US oil companies are now to invest billions of dollars to modernize Venezuela's oil infrastructure, which he described as "badly damaged". A partnership with the United States will make Venezuela "rich, independent and secure", he said. The South American country has the world's largest oil reserves.

Who will lead Venezuela into the future?

The question is who will have the political clout to lead the crisis-hit country of Venezuela into the future. Maduro has at least always managed to satisfy the key power poles - the military and the socialist ruling party - and keep them together.

According to experts, no one in Venezuela can hold on to power for long without the support of the military. So far, the country's armed forces led by Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino have always stood loyally by Maduro, partly because he has granted them many privileges. The military controls key areas of the country's economy and administration, including ports, food distribution and state programs.

Macron calls for transitional government under González

Following Maduro's arrest, Venezuela's Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado called for the appointment of opposition politician Edmundo González Urrutia as his successor. He had won the presidential election a year and a half ago and should now take up his constitutional office without delay, Machado said in a statement published on X.

French President Emmanuel Macron also stated: "We hope that President Edmundo González Urrutia, elected in 2024, will be able to ensure this transition quickly." The transition must be "peaceful, democratic and respectful of the will of the Venezuelan people". British Prime Minister Keir Starmer wrote on X: "We regarded Maduro as an illegitimate president and have not shed a tear over the end of his regime."

Great Britain has long supported a change of power in Venezuela, Starmer wrote. It will consult with the US in the coming days "as we seek a safe and peaceful transition to a legitimate government that reflects the will of the Venezuelan people."