The Constitutional Chamber of Venezuela's Supreme Court of Justice delivered a pivotal ruling mandating that Vice President Delcy Rodríguez immediately assume the position of acting president in response to the abrupt and forced absence of President Nicolás Maduro, who was detained earlier that morning during a coordinated operation conducted by United States military forces in the capital city of Caracas.
This judicial directive explicitly instructs Rodríguez to take charge of the executive office of the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, with the primary objectives of ensuring seamless administrative continuity across all government functions and providing comprehensive defense measures to safeguard the nation's institutions and territorial integrity during this unprecedented crisis.
The court's decision further outlines plans for forthcoming sessions within the Constitutional Chamber to conduct in-depth deliberations aimed at identifying and applying the most appropriate legal and constitutional framework necessary to preserve the uninterrupted operation of the state, maintain effective governance structures, and robustly protect national sovereignty amid the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the president's detention.
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By intervening decisively through this ruling, the Supreme Court seeks to avert any potential power vacuum in the executive branch, positioning Rodríguez—a prominent and longstanding ally of the Maduro administration—as the legitimate interim leader to navigate the country through the immediate political and institutional challenges posed by the external intervention.
The appointment underscores efforts by Venezuela's judicial and state apparatus to reaffirm domestic authority and constitutional order, even as the detained former president faces transfer to United States jurisdiction for prosecution on serious charges, marking a critical juncture in the nation's ongoing confrontation with international pressures and internal stability concerns.
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