Venezuela’s police, military pledge loyalty to interim President Rodriguez

Delcy Rodriguez receives loyalty pledge weeks after dozens killed in US military operation to abduct Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.Published On 29 Jan 2026Venezuela’s military and police have pledged loyalty to interim President Delcy Rodriguez, weeks after the country’s former President Nicolas Maduro was abducted by the United States military in a deadly operation ordered by US President Donald Trump.Rodriguez attended a ceremony at the Military Academy of the Bolivarian Army at the Fuerte Tiuna military complex in Caracas on Wednesday, where top figures declared their loyalty to her government.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Venezuela and Mexico: How Trump is trying to choke Cuba’s oil supplieslist 2 of 4Rubio says Maduro abduction ‘strategic’ necessity, downplays future attackslist 3 of 4Rubio rules out military action in Venezuela, with an exceptionlist 4 of 4Colombian lawmaker among 15 killed in plane crash near Venezuelaend of list“We swear absolute loyalty and subordination,” said Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino, who presented Rodriguez with the ceremonial baton and sword of independence hero Simon Bolivar.“This is an unprecedented moment in our republic,” Padrino said.Padrino’s declaration comes weeks after the US operation to abduct Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, which the defence minister said saw 83 people killed by US forces, including 47 Venezuelan soldiers and 32 Cuban security personnel.Venezuela’s interior minister, Diosdado Cabello, also pledged loyalty on behalf of police forces, saying that supporting Rodriguez was important “because we feel that to defend your rule is to defend the continuity of the government and the integrity of the Venezuelan people”.Rodriguez has led the country since the surprise abduction of Maduro on January 3.Rodriguez, who had been Maduro’s vice president, has pledged the beginning of a “new political moment” in the country, and began her new role by freeing political prisoners jailed under Maduro.She has also said “there is no foreign agent governing Venezuela”, even as Trump has threatened further military intervention if the country does not comply with his ambitions, including handing greater control of the country’s vast oil reserves to US companies.