Who Is Delcy Rodrguez, Venezuelas New de Facto Leader?

Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodriguez (C) and Venezuela’s National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez (R) arrive for a meeting with accredited diplomatic representatives in Caracas on Sept. 29, 2025. Juan Barreto/AFP via Getty ImagesVenezuela’s former Vice President Delcy Rodríguez is now president of the country, U.S. President Donald Trump said, hours after a U.S. military operation captured former leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on Jan. 3.“She was just sworn in, but she was, as you know, picked by Maduro,” Trump said. He said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio “is working on that directly. Just had a conversation with her, and she’s essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again. Very simple.”