Venezuela’s Supreme Court late on Saturday ordered Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez to become the country’s interim leader, after the United States seized President Nicolas Maduro and whisked him out of the country.
The high court ruled that Rodríguez “assume and exercise, in an acting capacity, all the attributes, duties and powers inherent to the office of President to guarantee administrative continuity and the comprehensive defence of the nation.”
The court ruling said that Rodríguez will assume “the office of President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in order to guarantee administrative continuity and the comprehensive defense of the Nation.”
The ruling added that the court will debate the matter in order 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.”
