Nicolás Maduro Guerra, the son of imprisoned Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, has pledged his “unconditional support” for newly sworn-in interim President Delcy Rodríguez, who served as his father’s vice president.
“My unconditional support for the very difficult task that has been imposed on you,” said Maduro Guerra, often called “Nicolasito,” according to the Canadian broadcaster (CBC). “Count on me, count on my family, count on our steadfastness in taking the right steps at the forefront of this responsibility that is now yours.”
Maduro Guerra made the comments during his first public appearance since his father and stepmother, Cilia Flores, were captured by US forces and extradited to New York. The deposed Venezuelan president’s son, who is himself a lawmaker, joined other ruling party lawmakers for a planned National Assembly swearing-in ceremony for a term that will last until 2031. The Associated Press reported.
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Nicolás Maduro Guerra, son of deposed President Nicolás Maduro, speaks with protesters on the day Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was formally sworn in as interim president of Venezuela in Caracas, Venezuela, on January 5, 2026. (Maxwell Briceno/Reuters)
Maduro Guerra condemned the US action, calling it a “kidnapping” and saying that “no country is safe.”
“If we normalize the kidnapping of a head of state, no country will be safe. Today it is Venezuela. Tomorrow it could be any country that refuses to submit,” Maduro Guerra said, according to the CBC. “This is not a regional problem. It is a direct threat to global political stability.”
Rodríguez, who was sworn in on Monday, has been vice president since 2018. Despite her objection to the US military action that led to the arrest of her former boss, Rodríguez has pledged to cooperate with the Trump administration.
“I come with sorrow over the suffering inflicted on the Venezuelan people following an unlawful military aggression against our homeland,” Rodríguez said, according to the AP.
During the opening session of the new term of the National Assembly, Delcy Rodríguez will be sworn in as acting President of Venezuela, pledging allegiance to Nicolás Maduro and Hugo Chávez on January 5, 2026 in Caracas. (Venezuelan National Assembly/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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Maduro and Flores were captured by US forces early Saturday morning at their home in Caracas, Venezuela. The Trump administration announced the operation on Saturday after successful “large-scale” military attacks on the United States Venezuelan government. The dictator and his wife are now being held in New York as they await narco-terrorism charges. The historic move drew praise and criticism around the world, with some questioning the legality of the operation.
China and Russia were among the powers to condemn the US operation in Venezuela, while some regional allies, including Argentina, welcomed the move.
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado – who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025 for her fight for freedom in Venezuela – praised the operation and said January 3 will go down as a “day when justice defeated tyranny.”
“It’s a milestone, and not only huge for the Venezuelan people and our future, I think it’s a huge step for humanity, for freedom and human dignity,” Machado said during an appearance on “Hannity.”
Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado gestures during an anti-government protest on January 9, 2025 in Caracas, Venezuela. (Jesus Vargas/Getty Images)
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“A free Venezuela means, first and foremost, a security ally, who dismantles America’s criminal center and turns it into a security shield, the strongest ally to dismantle all these criminal structures that have caused so much damage to our people and also to the American people,” she said. “Second, we will make Venezuela the energy center of America. We will establish the rule of law. We will open markets. We will provide security for foreign investments. Third, we will bring home millions of Venezuelans forced to flee their country, to build a strong nation, a prosperous nation and an open society,” Machado added.
Machado, who has been in hiding for more than a year, has promised to return to Venezuela.
