Venezuela’s Acting President Delcy Rodríguez Forms Commission to Secure Maduro’s Release

Venezuela's newly designated acting president Delcy Rodríguez, a longtime loyalist to Nicolás Maduro, formally announced on Sunday the creation of a specialized high-level commission dedicated to pursuing the swift and unconditional release of Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, who were forcibly removed from power and detained by United States special forces in a high-stakes operation at the presidential palace in Caracas.

The commission, structured to coordinate diplomatic, legal, and political efforts, will be jointly led by National Assembly president Jorge Rodríguez—Delcy's influential brother and a key figure in Maduro's inner circle—and Foreign Minister Yvan Gil, with prominent Information Minister Freddy Ñáñez rounding out the core membership to manage public communications and international messaging.

Nicolás Maduro, long indicted by U.S. authorities on serious charges including narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, and corruption, was swiftly transported to a secure federal detention center in New York following the raid, where he remains held ahead of a critical initial court appearance scheduled for Monday that could set the tone for protracted extradition and prosecution proceedings.

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The establishment of this commission underscores the Maduro administration's determination to challenge the legitimacy of the U.S. intervention, with Rodríguez's appointment as interim leader ratified by the regime-controlled Supreme Court to maintain governmental continuity and rally domestic support amid the unprecedented power vacuum.

As global attention focuses on the escalating crisis, the panel's formation signals Venezuela's strategy to mobilize allied nations and international forums in defense of Maduro's sovereignty claims, while the United States maintains its longstanding position that the charges represent accountability for alleged transnational criminal activities.

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