The Venezuelan Armed Forces recognized the inauguration of Delcy Rodríguez, Nicolás Maduro’s deputy, as interim president of the country, following the dictator’s arrest in a United States military attack. According to a note released this Sunday (4), and signed by the Minister of Defense, Vladímir Padrino López, Rodríguez must assume “all the powers, duties and faculties of president”.
The determination that Rodríguez should occupy the Presidency came from the Supreme Court of Venezuela, late on Saturday night, the same day of the American attack, in a decision taken “in view of foreign military aggression”.
In this Sunday’s note, the Venezuelan Armed Forces also support the External Commotion Decree issued after Saturday’s attack and reject what they call the “cowardly kidnapping” of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. After capture, Maduro was transferred to a federal prison in New York, where he faces drug trafficking and terrorism charges.
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“The Bolivarian government will guarantee the country’s governability and our institution will continue to employ all its available capabilities for military defense, the maintenance of internal order and the preservation of peace”, the note from the Venezuelan military also states.
Resumption of activities
Earlier this Sunday, in a television address, the Venezuelan Defense Minister asked the country’s population to “resume their activities” normally.
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“I call on the people of Venezuela to resume their economic, labor, educational and all types of activities in the coming days and the country must move forward along its constitutional path,” said López.
Pronouncement
On Saturday, before taking office as interim president, Maduro’s vice president made a statement to the press and demanded the immediate release of the imprisoned dictator.
For her, the attack on Venezuela aimed to “change power in Venezuela and also capture our energy resources and mineral and natural resources,” she said.
She also said that “there is only one president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro”. Rodríguez called for “calm and unity to reorganize and defend Venezuela.” He also stated that “the Venezuelan people, who are wise, who are patient, who have strategic patience, will find the way to defend peace, to defend tranquility, to defend the homeland.”
Donald Trump, however, said at a press conference that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had spoken with Rodríguez and she would be “essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again.”
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According to Trump, she said “we will do whatever it takes”. Still according to the American president, Rodrígues “was very kind, but in reality he had no choice”.
