CARACAS, Venezuela: Venezuela’s military and police formally pledged loyalty on Wednesday to interim president Delcy Rodriguez, consolidating her grip on power after the United States ousted former leader Nicolas Maduro.
According to AFP, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino swore “absolute loyalty and subordination” to Rodriguez, presenting her with the ceremonial baton and sword of independence hero Simon Bolivar, as more than 3,000 troops and police marched past the country’s first female commander in chief. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello echoed the pledge on behalf of police forces.
US Pressure, Oil, and Political Balancing Act
Rodriguez, 56, now faces the delicate task of balancing Maduro loyalists at home with demands from US President Donald Trump, who has said she can remain in office as long as she complies with Washington’s priorities, particularly access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.
Maduro and his wife were seized by US forces in a dramatic January 3 raid in Caracas and taken to New York to face drug trafficking charges, a move that reshaped Venezuela’s political landscape.
Opposition Fury, Sharp Exchanges
Opposition leader and Nobel laureate Maria Corina Machado, speaking in Washington, accused Rodriguez of being complicit in repression and dismissed her legitimacy. Rodriguez fired back during the ceremony, saying those who seek to harm Venezuela “should stay in Washington,” underscoring the deepening political divide.
