The United States carried out a "large-scale strike" early Saturday on Venezuela, capturing President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and spiriting them out of the country after months of intense pressure on the Maduro government.
The overnight operation threw Venezuela into turmoil, leaving its leadership in doubt as information about casualties and the extent of damage to its military had yet to become clear.
Washington has long dismissed the Venezuelan government as illegitimate and has reasoned its attacks on the country due to migration, drugs, and "narco-terrorism."
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court of Venezuela has appointed Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as the interim president of the nation, an official statement confirmed. Here is all you need to know about her.
Who is Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuela VP appointed as President?
Delcy Rodriguez was appointed the vice-president of the country in June 2018. She is currently also the finance and oil minister alongside her vice-president role. This has made her a key figure in the nation. Rodriguez was defined as a 'tiger' by Maduro for her defence of his socialist government.
Rodriguez is a 56-year-old Caracas native born on May 18 1969. She is the daughter of left-wing guerrilla fighter Jorge Antonio Rodriguez, who founded the revolutionary Liga Socialista party in the 1970s.
Rodriguez has served as Foreign and Information Minister in past
She is an attorney who completed her graduation from the Universidad Central de Venezuela. She rose rapidly through the political ranks in the last 10 years or so. Rodriguez served as the Communication and Information Minister between 2013 and 2014.
She was the foreign minister from 2014 to 2017. During her tenure, she attempted to crash a Mercosur trade bloc meeting in Buenos Aires after the nation was suspended from the group.
Rodriguez was handed the oil ministry in August 2024 and has been tasked with managing the US sanctions on Venezuela's oil industry. Apart from her political career, Rodriguez is a lover of designer fashions.
Why did US attack Venezuela?
The reasons behind the US attacking Venezuela are migration, drugs and 'narco-terrorism'. US President Donald Trump has associated Venezuela with the arrival of several migrants at the US southern border. Trump has also claimed that Venezuela is a major transit for drugs.
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