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Trump declares himself 'Acting President of Venezuela' days after Maduro capture
President Donald Trump shared a digitally altered image on social media, calling himself the “Acting President of Venezuela”.
A digitally altered image posted by President Donald Trump claims he is the “Acting President of Venezuela.” Trump made this claim amid intense international controversy following the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
Venezuela's interim leadership was established domestically through the Venezuelan Supreme Tribunal of Justice and the constitutional succession process, not by a U.S. president assuming executive authority.
Read more: With Venezuela raid, US tells China to keep away from the Americas
On Truth Social, Trump posted this engineered image with the official page of Wikipedia, where his official portrait is used. The statement “Acting President of Venezuela” is written below.
Furthermore, Trump also jokingly affirmed the idea of Marco Rubio being the President of Cuba. He shared a post where such claims are made with the caption “Sounds good to me.”
What really happened after Maduro's capture
In order to maintain administrative continuity and protect national institutions, Venezuela's Supreme Tribunal of Justice ordered Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to assume the role of acting president after Maduro was removed, citing constitutional constraints.
Read more: Trump's Venezuela-like threat to Cuba: 'Make deal before too late'
After Maduro's capture on January 3, Trump said in a press conference that throughout the transition, the United States will "run" Venezuela in order to "get the oil flowing." On Sunday, January 4, he declared that the United States was "in charge" of Venezuela.
The U.S. will continue to impose a "oil quarantine" as part of a strategy to influence policy, however Secretary of State Marco Rubio hinted on Sunday that the US does not intend to directly administer Venezuela.
Maduro’s arraignment in a U.S. court on federal charges has heightened tensions: he continues to contest his detention and asserts that his capture violates international law and sovereign immunity.
