Venezuelan Military and Police Pledge Loyalty to Interim President Delcy Rodríguez After Maduro's Abduction

Venezuela's military and police publicly affirmed their loyalty to interim President Delcy Rodríguez at a formal ceremony in Caracas, days after the United States military's operation that resulted in the capture of former President Nicolás Maduro.

The event took place at the Military Academy of the Bolivarian Army within the Fuerte Tiuna military complex, where senior officers and commanders declared their support for Rodríguez.

Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino presented Rodríguez with the ceremonial baton and the sword of independence hero Simón Bolívar and pledged the armed forces' allegiance. “We swear absolute loyalty and subordination,” Padrino said, calling the moment “unprecedented” in the republic's history.

“We swear absolute loyalty and subordination.” — Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino

Padrino said the U.S. operation that captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, resulted in heavy casualties; he told state media the action killed 83 people, including 47 Venezuelan soldiers and 32 Cuban security personnel. These figures were presented by the defence minister at the ceremony.

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello also pledged police support for Rodríguez, saying backing the interim president was essential “to defend the continuity of the government and the integrity of the Venezuelan people.”

Rodríguez, who had served as Maduro's vice president, assumed leadership after Maduro's surprise abduction on January 3. She has described her mandate as the start of a “new political moment” and announced the release of political prisoners jailed under Maduro's administration.

Rodríguez has repeatedly rejected claims of foreign control, saying “there is no foreign agent governing Venezuela.” At the same time, the United States, and in particular then-President Donald Trump, signalled continued pressure — including the prospect of further intervention — to secure U.S. objectives in Venezuela, which Trump reportedly framed in terms of broader geopolitical and economic interests.

Hours after Maduro and Flores were taken to the United States, Trump said he would seek to influence the new acting government and publicly dismissed opposition figure María Corina Machado as “a very nice woman” who did not command the support or “respect” to lead Venezuela.

Machado, who was reported to be the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, later presented the award to Trump at the White House. While in Washington she told reporters that, after discussions with U.S. officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, she believed “no one has faith in Delcy Rodríguez.”

At the Caracas ceremony Rodríguez appeared to address critics abroad, saying: “Those who seek to perpetuate harm and damage against the people of Venezuela, let them stay in Washington.”

Note: The casualty figures and other details about the U.S. operation are drawn from statements by Venezuelan officials reported at the ceremony.