Speaking three days after U.S. special forces snatched Mr. Maduro and his wife in a stunning raid in Caracas, Ms. Rodriguez said: "The government of Venezuela is in charge in our country, and no-one else." In its first confirmation of losses, Venezuela's military on Tuesday published a list of 23 troops, including five generals, killed in the U.S. strikes. Mr. Maduro and Ms. Flores appeared in court Monday in New York, where they pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and other charges. Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, sidelined by Washington in the post-Maduro transition, warned in a Fox News interview that Ms. Rodriguez was not to be trusted. The constitution says that after Mr. Maduro is formally declared absent — which could happen after six months — elections must then be held within 30 days.

Source: The Hindu January 07, 2026 09:31 UTC