In a striking development, U.S. President Donald Trump declared himself the interim president of Venezuela in a post on the Truth Social platform. He shared an edited image from Wikipedia labeling him as the “Acting President of Venezuela,” seemingly mocking the legitimacy of Delcy Rodríguez, Vice President under Nicolás Maduro, who assumed power after Maduro was reportedly arrested by a U.S. special forces unit on January 3.
In response, interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez stated on the social platform X that “the government must preserve its sovereign political authority to defend the country.”
Meanwhile, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Sunday that the U.S. role in overseeing the situation in Venezuela, with the aim of facilitating a future transfer of power, could last for years. In an interview with CBS, Wright commented on the duration of the U.S. involvement, saying, “It could be a year or two, or maybe longer.