Russia has officially welcomed the appointment of Delcy Rodriguez, who previously served as Venezuela’s Vice President, as the nation’s Interim President.
This development follows military action by the United States earlier this week, which led to the arrest and extraction of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. The U.S. has leveled four charges against Maduro, including drug trafficking and the use of narco-trafficking to facilitate terrorism. Maduro has categorically denied all allegations.
In an official statement, Russia emphasized that the appointment of an interim leader is crucial to maintaining stability and countering attempts by armed groups to achieve political objectives through intimidation. The statement asserted that the Venezuelan people must be allowed to determine their own future without destructive external interference. Furthermore, Russia reaffirmed its solidarity with the Venezuelan government and its citizens, pledging continued support for the protection of the nation’s sovereignty and national interests.
Notably, the Russian statement did not explicitly mention the United States by name. Observers have noted that President Vladimir Putin has exercised caution in criticizing Donald Trump since he assumed office for a second term in January last year. Putin has expressed a desire to strengthen ties and enhance trade relations with the United States. To date, Putin has remained silent regarding the specific circumstances of Maduro’s arrest and removal by U.S. forces.
The ousting of Maduro marks the second instance within approximately a year where a government closely allied with Russia has been toppled. This follows the sudden collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s administration in Syria in late 2024, which had also been a key partner of the Russian Federation.
