USA Venezuela's military backs vice president
Amid uncertainty over Venezuela's political future, the armed forces have backed Vice President Delcy Rodríguez. Following the capture of head of state Nicolás Maduro by US special forces, she is taking over the leadership of the country in accordance with the constitution, said Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino, surrounded by uniformed soldiers, in a video message. The military is the decisive power factor in Venezuela, which has so far been loyal to Maduro's left-wing authoritarian government.
04.01.2026, 18:19
SDA
Armed forces and police units will be activated throughout the country to repel the "imperialist aggression" of the United States, the message continued. The capture of Maduro was a "cowardly kidnapping" in which the US special forces killed a large part of Maduro's security team, soldiers and innocent citizens in cold blood.
Maduro is in custody in New York
On Saturday night, the USA attacked a number of targets in Venezuela, captured the authoritarian President Maduro and took him out of the country. He is now to be tried in New York for drug-related offenses.
However, the political future of the oil-rich country is unclear. US President Donald Trump said that the United States would temporarily lead Venezuela and that Vice President Rodríguez was willing to cooperate. The latter, however, was unbending. She called for Maduro's release and described the US attack as a violation of the UN Charter. "We will never be slaves again", she said in the direction of Trump.
Rodríguez is considered a loyal follower of Maduro
So far, there are no signs that Rodríguez wants to cooperate with the USA. The 56-year-old is considered one of the most loyal figures in Maduro's circle of power. As Foreign Minister (2014-2017), Rodríguez shaped the confrontational course against the USA, which she continued as Vice President.
Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino is one of the key players in the Venezuelan power structure. In addition to the military, the 62-year-old also controls key areas of the economy and administration, including ports, food distribution and government programs. This makes him not only a guarantor of the military's loyalty, but also a key pillar of the government's stability.
According to the US government, the military is also involved in drug trafficking
According to the US government, the Venezuelan military is just as involved in drug trafficking as Maduro. The "Cartel de los Soles" (Cartel of the Suns) is said to be a criminal syndicate made up of officers from the Venezuelan armed forces. The name is borrowed from the suns on the epaulettes of Venezuelan generals.
However, security experts are divided as to whether the cartel even exists as a hierarchically organized group. According to observers, it is far more likely that high-ranking military officers allow established crime syndicates to operate in Venezuela in return for bribes and offer them protection if necessary.
