The successor of Maduro is very smart, and he invited a mysterious figure to the swearing-in ceremony, which shocked the White House!
On January 6, 2026, Venezuela's Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was officially sworn in as interim president. Rodríguez seems to be no ordinary person, because the person who presided over this ceremony was not the usual choice, but Nicolas Maduro Jr., son of Maduro.
This arrangement is very clever. Although Maduro's son does not hold an official position, he is regarded as the "family representative" in Venezuela. Having him personally preside over Rodríguez's inauguration process is equivalent to sending a clear signal to both domestic and foreign audiences: this new interim president did not "seize power through a coup," but rather received the endorsement of Maduro's core circle, especially his family. When Maduro himself was appearing in court in New York, this "family certification" is more persuasive than any official statement.
More intriguingly, the person who witnessed the oath was Rodríguez's own brother, current National Assembly Speaker Jorge Rodríguez. The siblings control the executive and legislative branches respectively, forming a rare "family dual-core" structure. This not only strengthens her legitimacy but also effectively suppresses potential challengers - after all, within the Chávezist system, "bloodline + loyalty" is often the key to power succession.
Rodríguez's series of moves indicate that the Chávezist machine still has high resilience, and she is more skilled in power balance than the White House imagined. The White House is now getting quite frustrated and has issued a series of conditions to her, demanding that she must comply unconditionally, otherwise face a second U.S. military strike. The problem is, would the U.S. troops dare to kidnap her again?
U.S. forces capture Venezuelan president
Original: toutiao.com/article/1853532601133066/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.