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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Worker’s body reaches Ranchi from Saudi 4 months after death; family rejects over compensation
Ranchi (PTI): The body of a migrant worker from Jharkhand’s Giridih district killed in Saudi Arabia in October last year has arrived at Ranchi Airport, but his family refused to accept it over pending compensation, officials said.
Shikha Lakra, team leader of the state migrant control cell, told PTI that, before taking the body of Vijay Kumar Mahato, the family is demanding compensation from the private company where he used to work in the Arab country.
Mahato was killed in an alleged crossfire between the police and criminals.
“Since it was a bullet injury case, the matter is before a court in Jeddah. The final compensation may depend on the court’s decision,” Lakra said.
“The Indian Embassy informed us about the body’s arrival, and coordination was done with district authorities. Our role is limited to coordination in cases involving overseas employers and foreign jurisdiction,” she added.
Giridih Deputy Commissioner Ram Niwas Yadav said the authorities will try to convince the family to perform the last rites.
“We have already sanctioned Rs 5 lakh under the government scheme for migrant’s deaths abroad. The compensation payment might take some time,” he said.
The body is currently at the mortuary of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi.
The Family members said they will only accept it if the company provides written assurance regarding compensation. “Without that assurance, we will not receive the body,” said Ram Prasad Mahato, the deceased’s brother-in-law.
Mahato, a native of Dudhpaniya village in Madh Gopali panchayat under Dumri block, was employed as a tower line fitter. His family said he was struck by a bullet during a gunfight between local police and an extortion gang and later succumbed to his injuries.
Social activist Sikander Ali said Mahato is survived by his wife, two young sons aged five and three, and elderly parents.
