Vice President and Oil Minister Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president by National Assembly head Jorge Rodríguez following Maduro’s removal by the US.
Maduro pleaded not guilty in a New York court to drug trafficking and terrorism charges, insisting he remains Venezuela’s legitimate president.
The move drew sharp criticism at the UN, with Washington defending its action by calling Maduro an illegitimate leader unfit to control Venezuela’s vast energy reserves.
Delcy Rodríguez Sworn In as Venezuela’s Interim President
As Nicolás Maduro faces drug charges in New York, Venezuela installs a new interim leader amid global backlash to U.S. action.
Summary
Venezuela's vice president and oil minister, Delcy Rodriguez, was formally sworn in on Monday as the country's interim president, as U.S.-deposed President Nicolas Maduro appeared in a New York court on drug charges, after the Trump administration removed him from power in a dramatic weekend military action.
Rodriguez was sworn in by her brother Jorge, the head of the national assembly legislature. Rodriguez is a 56-year-old labour lawyer with strong ties to the private sector and a deep devotion to the ruling party.
In a parliamentary session that started with calls for the release of ousted leader Nicolas Maduro from US captivity, Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as Venezuela's interim president.
283 lawmakers who were elected in May of last year were also sworn in on Monday. Only a small percentage are considered opposition; the majority of the opposition, particularly the group led by Nobel Prize winner Machado, abstained from the competition. First Lady Cilia Flores, who is detained in the United States, was the sole lawmaker not there.
In dramatic scenes inside a New York court room two hours earlier, Maduro insisted he was still the president of Venezuela as he pleaded not guilty to four charges of drug trafficking and terrorism.
Meanwhile, the US faced sharp criticism at the UN, but the US ambassador said the largest energy reserves in the world could not be left in the hands of an illegitimate leader, a "fugitive from justice".
Published At: