Interim Venezuelan Leader Declares ‘Innocent’ Maduro Is Country’s ‘Legitimate President’: NBC

Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez declared that deposed leader Nicolas Maduro is “innocent” and remains, in her eyes, the country’s “legitimate president,” as she insisted that she is “in charge” — not President Donald Trump.

Maduro and his wife were captured by United States forces in January and brought to New York, where they were charged with narco-terrorism charges. Maduro had previously been indicted on drug charges in 2020 in the United States.

Following the operation, Rodríguez, who was Maduro’s vice president, was made interim leader of Venezuela.

On Thursday, Rodríguez was interviewed on NBC’s Today by Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker and cited Venezuela’s constitution and her day-to-day workload as proof of her authority:

KRISTEN WELKER: Who is in charge here? Are you in charge or is President Trump in charge?

DELCY RODRIGUEZ: Well, I can tell you I am in charge of the presidency of Venezuela, as is stated clearly in the constitution of Venezuela. And from the amount of work that I have and how busy I am, I can tell you it’s very, very hard work and we’re doing it completely day by day.

She also made a stand in defense of Maduro:

WELKER: Do you see Nicolas Maduro as the legitimate leader of Venezuela?

RODRIGUEZ: Yes, I can tell you that President Nicolas Maduro is the legitimate president. I can, I will tell you this as the lawyer that I am. They are both, President Maduro and Cilia Flores, the First Lady, are both innocent.

Rodríguez also confirmed her engagement with the United States, telling Welker she has “been invited to the States” and was “contemplating coming there once we’ve established cooperation.”

Her remarks come against the backdrop of intensified US-Venezuelan engagement since Maduro was deposed and Venezuelan oil exports were folded into US control.

Speaking on the same broadcast, President Donald Trump’s Secretary of Energy Chris Wright offered a contrasting view of Venezuelan governance, saying: “Venezuelans are in charge here in Venezuela, but the United States has “enormous leverage” over the interim authorities in Venezuela.”

He described cooperation with Rodríguez’s administration as off to “a tremendous start,” pointing to her delivery of information and recent legislative shifts, including changes to Venezuela’s hydrocarbon law.

The full interview with Rodriguez will air on Meet the Press and NBC Nightly News.

Watch above via NBC.

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