Overview
- President Donald Trump posted a fake Wikipedia-style image on Truth Social labeling himself the “Acting President of Venezuela,” with no official recognition or matching Wikipedia entry.
- Venezuela’s Supreme Tribunal of Justice designated Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as interim president following Nicolás Maduro’s capture.
- Maduro and Cilia Flores were seized in a U.S. operation and flown to New York, where Maduro pleaded not guilty to federal narcotics-related charges.
- Trump signed an executive order shielding Venezuelan oil revenues in U.S. accounts and has spoken of transferring 30–50 million barrels of Venezuelan crude under U.S. control.
- The operation and U.S. claims have drawn international criticism, and major oil executives signaled reluctance to re-enter Venezuela, with ExxonMobil’s CEO calling it “uninvestable.”