The institutional backbone of the Venezuelan state—its police and armed forces—has formally affirmed its allegiance to Interim President Delcy Rodriguez, solidifying her provisional authority following the extraordinary removal of Nicolas Maduro. The declaration took place during a high-profile ceremony at the Military Academy of the Bolivarian Army at the Fuerte Tiuna complex in Caracas.
Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino led the pledge of 'absolute loyalty and subordination,' presenting Rodriguez with the ceremonial symbols of command, including the baton and sword of Simón Bolívar. Padrino framed the transition as an 'unprecedented moment in our republic,' while also referencing the recent, deadly US operation that resulted in the abduction of the former President and his wife.
The Defence Minister claimed the operation resulted in significant casualties, citing 83 fatalities, including 47 Venezuelan soldiers and 32 Cuban security personnel, underscoring the gravity of the geopolitical rupture caused by Maduro’s removal.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello extended the pledge on behalf of police forces, linking support for Rodriguez to 'the continuity of the government and the integrity of the Venezuelan people.' Rodriguez, who had served as Vice President, has positioned her interim tenure as a 'new political moment,' immediately signaling a break from the previous administration by releasing political prisoners.
Economically, the situation remains volatile. Rodriguez has explicitly denied the presence of 'foreign agents governing Venezuela,' a direct counter to sustained threats from Washington regarding the future control of the nation’s substantial oil reserves, which the US administration views as leverage.
Meanwhile, the political opposition is fractured following the event. Maria Corina Machado, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has publicly expressed doubt regarding Rodriguez’s legitimacy after discussions in Washington with US officials. Machado subsequently gifted her Nobel award to President Trump, a symbolic gesture underscoring the deep alignment between the US administration and certain opposition factions.
Rodriguez appeared to draw a sharp contrast with Machado during the military event, cautioning those who 'seek to perpetuate harm and damage against the people of Venezuela' to remain outside the country. This suggests a hardening stance against any internal or external actors perceived as undermining the new provisional government.
This rapid institutional realignment in Caracas, occurring under the shadow of a major US military intervention and ongoing threats concerning energy assets, places Venezuela at a critical juncture, demanding close scrutiny from global markets and regional powers regarding stability and future oil production certainty. (Source: Al Jazeera analysis/reporting)
