U.S. removes narco-dictator, court installs loyalist, exposing authoritarian fragility as justice finally crosses borders.
Venezuela’s Supreme Court moved swiftly Sunday to appoint Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as interim president, one day after an unprecedented U.S. operation in Caracas captured President Nicolás Maduro. The court said the decision was necessary to preserve administrative continuity and national defense amid the president’s “forced absence.”
In its ruling, the Constitutional Chamber said it would further deliberate to define the legal framework ensuring continuity of the state, governance, and sovereignty. Rodríguez—56, a powerful Maduro loyalist—has long concentrated economic authority, serving as vice president, finance minister, and oil minister during years of sanctions and hyperinflation. Maduro once called her a “tiger” for her aggressive defense of his rule; she is the daughter of left-wing guerrilla founder Jorge Antonio Rodríguez.
Where is Maduro?
U.S. authorities said Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were seized during a raid on a military base residence, transferred to a U.S. warship, then flown to New York. Prosecutors in the United States Department of Justice allege narco-terrorism and drug-trafficking conspiracies. Video showed Maduro escorted by federal agents upon arrival; he is expected to be held in Brooklyn pending trial.
President Donald Trump said the United States would help oversee an interim period to enable a “safe, proper and judicious transition,” calling the operation “extremely successful.”
For Israel and its allies, the episode underscores a broader lesson: regimes that bankroll terror networks, narcotics, and anti-Western agitation—often cheered by the same movements that excuse Hamas and demonize Israel—are not immune to accountability. While Israel confronts terror directly and lawfully, the collapse of Caracas’ strongman reveals how quickly authoritarian façades crack when justice finally arrives.
