Venezuela Supreme Court appoints VP Delcy Rodriguez as Interim President
Caracos: Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez has assumed the role of acting president of the nation as ordered by the Supreme Court on Saturday, in the absence of President Nicolas Maduro, who was detained during a US operation on Venezuela.
The Constitutional Chamber ruled that Rodríguez would assume “the office of President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in order to guarantee administrative continuity and the comprehensive defense of the Nation,” Reuters has reported.
The Constitutional Chamber ruling has also said that the SC would deliberate to “determine the applicable legal framework to guarantee the continuity of the State, the administration of government, and the defense of sovereignty in the face of the forced absence of the President of the Republic.”
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A native of Caracas, Rodriguez was born on May 18, 1969 and is the daughter of Jorge Antonio Rodríguez, a left-wing guerrilla fighter and founder of the revolutionary Liga Socialista party in the 1970s. She studied law at the Central University of Venezuela, as reported by the CNN.
Her political career has seen a rapid rise in the past decade, from being the Minister of Communication and Information from 2013-14 to becoming the Foreign Minister of Venezuela from 2014-17. In 2017, she was appointed the head of a pro-government Constituent Assembly that significantly expanded Maduro’s powers. A year later, Maduro named Rodriguez as his deputy, announcing the appointment on X and describing her as "a young woman, brave, seasoned, daughter of a martyr, revolutionary and tested in a thousand battles."
In August 2024, Rodríguez was given charge of the Oil Ministry, with the responsibility of managing the escalating US sanctions on Venezuela’s most important industry, according to Reuters. In addition, she has served as the country’s chief economic authority.
On Saturday, Rodríguez called on the US government to provide proof of life for Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in an audio message broadcast on state television.
The Vice-president insisted that Maduro remain Venezuela’s legitimate president despite his detention by US forces. “There is only one president in this country, and his name is Nicolás Maduro Moros,” Rodríguez stated.
Her comments directly contradicted the earlier remarks by US President Donald Trump, who had said Rodríguez had been “sworn in” as president and was “willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again.”
Trump had also said the US would be running Venezuela in the immediate future.
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MP Tejasvi Surya seeks removal of savings clause from BMLTA draft rules
Bengaluru (PTI): BJP MP Tejasvi Surya on Wednesday submitted formal objections to the Draft BMLTA rules, 2025, and has sought the removal of savings clause.
Bengaluru South MP said the draft Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA) rules, notified in the Karnataka Gazette on January 3, 2026, introduced a savings clause under Rule 24.
"This provision exempts previously announced large-scale infrastructure projects from requiring approval of the BMLTA, thereby potentially allowing proposals such as the Tunnel Road project to be deemed approved without institutional scrutiny," he added.
Expressing serious concern over the provision, Surya stated in a post on X: "This (Rule 24 savings clause) is nothing but a dangerous attempt by the Congress-led state government to retrospectively rubber stamp the Tunnel Road project and other works to the tune of Rs 1 lakh crore.
Developmental works are indeed essential for the progress of Bengaluru but the BMLTA rules cannot be a tool to bypass scrutiny and erase accountability," Surya said.
"These rules are also illegal since subordinate legislation cannot override the principal act. Through these rules, the Congress attempts to prematurely kill the act - the primary reason for our opposition to it," he added.
On January 3, the Urban Development Department released draft rules to govern the BMLTA, laying out detailed procedures for its composition, conduct of meetings, financial management and audit mechanisms.
Citizens have been given 30 days to submit objections and suggestions.
Emphasising the original intent behind the legislation, Surya noted that the BMLTA Act was enacted in 2022 by the BJP Government to ensure transparency, institutional oversight and structured planning in Bengaluru's urban mobility ecosystem.
He said the draft rules, particularly Rule 24, undermine the very purpose of the law and weaken an institution meant to function in the larger public interest.
Surya also urged other citizens to submit their objections in the timeframe provided by the Government of Karnataka.
"I urge fellow citizens to also submit their objections to the Secretary to Government, Urban Development Department, Government of Karnataka," he added.
Meanwhile there was no immediate reaction from the Government to Surya's views.
