Venezuela swears in interim president after defiant Maduro pleads not guilty in US court

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 3 min read 100% complete January 5, 2026 at 11:33 PM

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Following Nicolas Maduro's arrest by U.S. forces and arraignment in a New York court, Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as Venezuela's interim president on Monday. Maduro pleaded not guilty to U.S. charges of drug trafficking and terrorism, insisting he was still the legitimate president and a "prisoner of war." The swearing-in ceremony in Venezuela's parliament included demands for Maduro's release. The U.S. defended its actions at the UN, citing Maduro's illegitimacy and the need to secure Venezuela's energy reserves. Venezuela's UN ambassador condemned the U.S. operation as an "illegitimate armed attack."

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Alvin Hellerstein 35% New York 40% Samuel Moncada 40% Mike Waltz ×240% United Nations (UN) ×260% Cilia Flores 60% United States ×585% Delcy Rodriguez ×290% Venezuela ×695% Nicolás Maduro (Maduro) ×9100%

Keywords

nicolas maduro 100% venezuela 100% delcy rodriguez 80% interim president 80% us court 70% us 70% drug trafficking 60% terrorism 60% un security council 50% illegitimate leader 50%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.30

Source Transparency

Source

BBC News - World

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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nicolas maduro venezuela delcy rodriguez interim president us court us drug trafficking terrorism un security council illegitimate leader

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