Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez assumed leadership over the past hour as the government did not collapse following the U.S. capture of Nicolás Maduro earlier on January 4, 2026, with Maduro’s forces retaining control of security despite U.S. expectations of full governmental breakdown, according to MenaLive. MenaLive reported that U.S. officials anticipated a complete collapse after announcing Maduro’s capture, but Venezuelan security forces maintained control during the 59-minute reporting window ending at 3:15 p.m. UTC. This follows White House consideration of Rodríguez as a post-Maduro leader due to her oil output increases under sanctions, as previously reported by the New York Times. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the ban on Venezuela’s oil exports will remain until changes occur in the country’s oil industry, according to an X post by @ILRedAlert shared over the past hour. Rubio was appointed to lead interim U.S. governance of Venezuela following Maduro’s capture, per earlier Bloomberg reports. President Donald Trump departed Mar-a-Lago en route to Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach, as shown in an X post by @CrannofonixNews during this period, amid ongoing U.S. transition efforts in Venezuela.
