Geopolitics › Latin America › Venezuela
Delcy Rodríguez
Acting president since Jan 2026· Leader
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Venezuela's acting president since January 2026, a veteran chavista official who took over after US forces seized Nicolás Maduro.
See it on the Geopolitics map →The picture
Born in Caracas in 1969, Rodríguez is a lawyer and the daughter of a leftist leader who died in police custody in 1976. She served as foreign minister, led the 2017 Constituent Assembly and became vice president in 2018, also running finance and oil. After the January 3, 2026 raid the Supreme Tribunal named her acting president; she was sworn in on January 5. Since then she has worked with Washington: an amnesty bill, prisoner releases and an August 2026 oil deal.
Why it matters
She embodies Washington's choice in Venezuela: stability and oil through a regime insider, rather than a handover to the opposition that says it won the 2024 election.
Record
Venezuelan court rulings and decrees, US government statements, and extensive news coverage of the January 2026 transition and the deals that followed.
What to watch
Whether she is a caretaker or a durable ruler, and when, or whether, a credible presidential election will be held, are open as of 2026.
Connections (3)
▸US raid captures Nicolás Maduro elevated Delcy RodríguezFact
The relationship
By seizing Nicolás Maduro in Caracas and flying him to New York for trial, the US raid left a vacuum at the top. Rather than install the opposition, Washington accepted the constitutional successor, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, who kept the chavista state, military and ruling party intact while bending to US demands.
Since when and why
Caracas, January 3–5, 2026: the raid, then a Supreme Tribunal order naming her acting president and her swearing-in before the National Assembly on January 5.
How we know
The court ruling, her swearing-in, and statements by President Trump and US officials that they would work with her are all on the public record.
What to watch
Reports in 2025 said the Rodríguez siblings had floated a 'Maduro-less' government to US contacts; how much she knew or arranged in advance is unproven.
▸Delcy Rodríguez agreed to give an oil stake to United StatesFact
The relationship
Under US pressure after the raid, Rodríguez opened Venezuela's oil to American control. In August 2026 she and Trump announced a deal creating a new company with a private operator to develop 17 fields; the US side gets an ownership stake plus the right to buy oil at cost, about 55% of effective output.
Since when and why
Announced August 28, 2026; negotiated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth with Rodríguez; the new company holds 100-year rights over about 65 billion barrels.
How we know
Announcements by both governments and wide press reporting; the full contract and the private partner's identity were not disclosed at first.
What to watch
Whether the deal fits Venezuela's constitution, which reserves oil deposits to the state, whether a future elected government would honor it, and whether the promised $100 billion of investment arrives.
▸Delcy Rodríguez leads VenezuelaFact
The relationship
As acting president, Rodríguez runs the same chavista state Maduro led, with her brother Jorge heading the National Assembly. She has traded concessions to Washington, such as prisoner releases and oil access, for survival, while the opposition says the regime remains in place and demands a new election.
Since when and why
Caracas, since January 5, 2026; her key allies are her brother Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly, and the armed forces' leadership.
How we know
Official decrees, the January 2026 amnesty bill and US government statements document her authority and her dealings with Washington.
What to watch
Disputed: the government calls her the lawful successor; the opposition led by María Corina Machado calls her rule illegitimate. When a free election will be held is unresolved.