While the U.S. capture of Nicolás Maduro has been hailed by President Donald Trump as a "stunning" success, the move has plunged Venezuela into a leadership crisis as Maduro’s top allies refuse to cede power.
Despite being incarcerated in New York, Maduro’s influence lingers through a powerful cabal of loyalists who have governed the country for over a decade. Late Saturday, Venezuela’s Supreme Court ordered Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to assume the presidency.1 However, the transition is anything but certain.
Shortly after the court’s order, Rodríguez appeared on state television flanked by the country’s most powerful figures: Jorge Rodríguez: Head of the National Assembly. Diosdado Cabello: Interior Minister and military heavyweight. Vladimir Padrino López: Defense Minister.
The group declared that Maduro remains Venezuela's "only president," signaling that the system built by Maduro—fueled by military loyalty and internal surveillance—remains intact for now.
Analysts warn that removing Maduro is only the first step in a much larger challenge. "You can remove pieces of the government, but it takes multiple actors at different levels to move the needle," said one former U.S. official.
A major focus has shifted to Diosdado Cabello, often described as the most "ideological and unpredictable" member of the regime. Cabello controls vast intelligence networks (SEBIN and DGCIM) that have been accused by the United Nations of crimes against humanity. Clad in a flak jacket and helmet on Saturday, Cabello warned dissenters: "Whoever strays, we will know."
In a surprising move, President Trump publicly distanced himself from opposition leader and Nobel Prize winner María Corina Machado, claiming she lacks the internal support to govern.
This leaves a power vacuum that U.S. officials hope to fill with a "judicious transition," though they face a military establishment that currently profits from state-run industries and illicit trade.
While some mid-level generals have reportedly reached out to the U.S. seeking immunity in exchange for intelligence, the core leadership in Caracas appears prepared to dig in.
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