Venezuela Court Orders VP to Assume Presidency 'Temporarily'

Venezuela’s top court has ordered Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to take over the presidency on a temporary basis following the capture of President Nicolás Maduro by US forces.

In its ruling, the court said Rodríguez will assume all powers and responsibilities of the presidency in an acting role to ensure the continued functioning of the government and the defence of the country.

The judges did not declare Maduro permanently absent from office. Such a decision would have required new presidential elections to be held within 30 days.

Meanwhile, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gill told Russia's RIA state news agency that Peace in Latin America was disrupted by a US attack on Venezuela.

“Peace in Latin America was disrupted by this action,” RIA cited Gill as saying, after US President Donald Trump said the US struck Venezuela, and President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were captured and taken out of the country.

Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico said that the US military action in Venezuela demonstrates a deepening breakdown of the international order established after World War II.

Fico posted on Facebook that international law is being sidelined and that military power is increasingly used without authorisation from the UN Security Council. “International law does not apply, military power is used without the mandate of the UN Security Council, and everyone great and strong does what he wants to promote his own interests,” Fico said in his post.