LIVE UPDATES: Delcy Rodríguez Sworn in as Venezuela’s Interim President

LIVE UPDATES: Delcy Rodríguez Sworn in as Venezuela’s Interim President

I will update this post with any updates regarding the fallen Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro.

Delcy Rodríguez Sworn In

Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s VP, was sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president.

I talk about her below, doubting that anything will change in Venezuela or that she’ll cooperate with the Trump administration.

Watch as Delcy Rodriguez, former vice president, is sworn in as Venezuela's new leaderhttps://t.co/QqZybFuKDe

📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/W9TIr2ZpQU

— Sky News (@SkyNews) January 5, 2026

Nicolás Maduro Guerra, Maduro’s son, pledged allegiance to Rodriguez: “Count on me, count on my family, and count on our firmness in taking the right steps forward in this responsibility you have been given today.”

Switzerland Freezes Maduro’s Assets

Ah, yes! Who doesn’t have assets in Switzerland? Not shocked Maduro does:

The measure, which impacts 37 people and is valid for four years, is intended on preventing the exit of potentially illicit assets. It came amid existing sanctions imposed on Venezuela since 2018, the Swiss government’s Federal Council said in a statement.

“The reasons behind Mr Maduro’s fall from power do not play a decisive role in asset freezes under the FIAA,” the council said. “Nor does the question of whether the fall from power occurred lawfully or in violation of international law. The decisive factor is that a fall from power has occurred and that it is now possible that the country of origin will initiate legal proceedings in the future with regard to illicitly acquired assets.”

“The asset freeze serves to enable any future mutual legal assistance proceedings,” the statement continued. “Should these reveal that the funds were illicitly acquired, Switzerland will endeavour to use them for the benefit of the Venezuelan people.”

Venezuela National Assembly

Venezuela’s National Assembly has started its first meeting without Maduro around.

Lawmaker Fernando Soto Rojas condemned the Trump administration for capturing Maduro, describing it as “barbaric” and cowardly.”

Well, if we’ve learned anything from the past, we know that those who come after a deposed dictator are often no better or worse.

Interim President Delcy Rodríguez served as Maduro’s vice president. She is also a socialist and thought to be his successor.

I’m not shocked that it appears Rodriguez won’t be better:

Her rise to become interim leader of the South American country came as a surprise on Saturday morning, when Trump announced that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had been in communication with Rodríguez and that the Venezuelan leader was “gracious” and would work with the American government. Rubio said Rodríguez was someone the administration could work with, unlike Maduro.

But in a televised address, Rodríguez gave no indication that she would cooperate with Trump, referring to his government as “extremists” and maintaining that Maduro was Venezuela’s rightful leader.

“What is being done to Venezuela is an atrocity that violates international law,” Rodríguez said, surrounded by high-ranking civilian officials and military leaders.

Trump warned on Sunday, if Rodríguez didn’t fall in line, “she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro.” He added that he wanted her to provide “total access,” from oil facilities to basic infrastructure like roads, so they can be rebuilt.

Well, after the warning, Rodriguez softened her tone. I don’t believe her, though:

But on Sunday night, in a statement addressed to President Trump, Ms. Rodríguez said, “Our people and our region deserve peace and dialogue, not war.”

“We extend an invitation to the U.S. government to work together on a cooperative agenda, oriented toward shared development, within the framework of international law, and to strengthen lasting community coexistence,” she wrote.

Rodriguez’s brother Jorge “has served as President of the National Assembly.” Yeah, he’s also a member of Maduro’s inner circle.

United Nations

The United Nations Security Council is holding an emergency meeting over Venezuela:

António Guterres, the secretary general of the United Nations, said in a statement that he was “deeply concerned” that the United States had not respected the rule of international law when it attacked Venezuela and captured its president. “I am deeply concerned about the possible intensification of instability in the country, the potential impact on the region, and the precedent it may set for how relations between and among states are conducted,” said the statement, which was read aloud at an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council.

WATCH: @USAmbUN delivers remarks to the UN on the arrest and extradition of Nicolás Maduro:

"There is no war against Venezuela or its people. We are not occupying a country. This was a law enforcement operation in furtherance of lawful indictments that have existed for decades." pic.twitter.com/fcoTqawPNH

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 5, 2026

Court Date

Maduro will be in court today to be arraigned on four charges:

• narco-terrorism conspiracy
• cocaine importation conspiracy
• possession of machine guns and destructive devices
• conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices

Fetterman Goes Off on Democrats

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) criticized his party after man came out against the Trump administration after it arrested Maduro:

“Yeah, I mean, for me, I think I don’t know why we can’t just acknowledge that it’s been a good thing what’s happened,” Fetterman said. “I mean, I’ve seen the the speeches from whether it’s Leader [Chuck] Schumer or kinds of past tweets from President [Joe] Biden. You know, we all wanted this man gone, and now he is gone.”

“I think we should really appreciate exactly what happened here. And I think we did, just as I salute our military, what they’ve done that was really surgical and precise and very efficient. So why we can’t celebrate these kinds of things?” he continued.

Fetterman specifically responded to criticism from Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Ct., who called the operation “wildly illegal.”

“I respect, my friend in Connecticut, but we have different views on this and perhaps other views as well. I, again, I just said this on my social media that, you know, remind everybody that America is a force of good, order and democracy. And we are promoting these kinds of values. We are the good guys,” Fetterman said. “Remember, we all Democrats years ago wanted to eliminate him. And then why have a bounty of $25 million? If we didn’t want him gone, why would you do these things if you weren’t willing to actually do something other than harsh language?”

🚨 NEW: John Fetterman CALLS OUT Democrats opposing Maduro arrest: “Why, as a Democrat, can’t we just acknowledge it was successful?” pic.twitter.com/O7oglRV7Cx

— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) January 5, 2026

Maduro Arrives at Courthouse

Authorities already transferred Maduro and his wife, Cilia, to the courthouse.

BREAKING: Nicolás Maduro surrounded by heavy security as he is transported to New York City court ahead of his arraignment. pic.twitter.com/2EqrMrNKxe

— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 5, 2026

Congressional Briefing

The Trump administration will brief Congressional leaders about plans in Venezuela after Democrats complained officials kept them in the dark about Maduro:

“I’m a member of the Gang of Eight, and I have yet to get a phone call from anybody in the administration,” Representative Jim Himes, the Connecticut Democrat who serves as the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee, said on Sunday on CNN. The Gang of Eight refers to the Republican and Democratic leaders in the House and Senate, as well as the chairs and ranking minority members of each chamber’s intelligence committees. Together, the group is typically briefed on classified matters.

Mr. Himes said he had spoken with Representative Hakeem Jeffries, Democrat of New York and the House minority leader, who had also received no phone call from the administration.

By the evening, however, they had finally been assured that more information was to come: Trump administration officials had agreed to provide a briefing on Monday at 5:30 p.m. to the Gang of Eight, as well as the leaders of and top Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senate Armed Services Committee, House Foreign Affairs Committee and House Armed Services Committee, according to an official briefed on the plans.

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