Trump Declares Himself ‘Acting President’ of Venezuela Following Elite U.S. Military Capture of Nicolás Maduro

Trump intensified the situation by posting his official portrait on Truth Social with the designation “Acting President of Venezuela, Incumbent January 2026”.

RMN News Political Desk
New Delhi | January 12, 2026

MAR-A-LAGO, Florida — In a series of unprecedented geopolitical moves, U.S. President Donald Trump has declared himself the “Acting President of Venezuela,” just weeks after a high-stakes military operation resulted in the capture of the South American nation’s longtime leader, Nicolás Maduro.

The “Shock and Awe” Capture

The current crisis reached a breaking point on January 3, 2026, when the U.S. Army’s elite Delta Force conducted a “large-scale” military strike in Caracas. Residents of the Venezuelan capital reported at least seven major explosions targeting strategic locations, including the La Carlota Airbase and Fuerte Tiuna.

During the mission, which Trump described as a “shock and awe” style strike, Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured and subsequently flown to New York. The legal justification for the operation cited a 2020 Department of Justice indictment for narco-terrorism conspiracy, which had previously placed a $50 million bounty on Maduro.

Trump’s Digital Proclamation

On Sunday, January 11, 2026, Trump intensified the situation by posting his official portrait on Truth Social with the designation “Acting President of Venezuela, Incumbent January 2026”. Trump argued that the United States must oversee the country’s administration to ensure a “safe, proper and judicious transition,” warning that a leadership vacuum would harm Venezuelan interests.

Despite this online declaration, Trump is not currently recognized as Venezuela’s leader in public records. Instead, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was formally sworn in as the country’s Interim President last week following Maduro’s removal.

Oil Agreements and Regional Shifts

A central component of the new U.S. policy involves Venezuela’s vast energy reserves. Trump claimed that interim authorities have agreed to hand over 30 to 50 million barrels of “high-quality, sanctioned oil” to the United States.

Key details of the plan include:

• Market Sales: The oil will be sold at market rates, with proceeds controlled by the U.S. administration to benefit both nations.
• Immediate Implementation: Energy Secretary Chris Wright has been instructed to begin the transport of oil to U.S. ports immediately.
• Regional Pressure: Trump issued stern warnings to Cuba, signaling that Venezuelan oil supplies and financial assistance to the island nation would be terminated.

International Fallout

The military intervention and subsequent political claims have polarized the international community. While the U.S. pointed to the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to opposition figure Maria Corina Machado in 2025 as evidence of the need for democratic transition, regional allies such as Russia and Iran have condemned the U.S. actions as a violation of sovereignty.

Within Venezuela, the situation remains volatile. While Delcy Rodríguez has assumed interim leadership, she has also demanded “proof of life” for the captured Maduro and Flores.

This sequence of events marks a definitive “checkmate” in a long-standing geopolitical struggle that intensified following the disputed 2024 Venezuelan elections.