Venezuela’s parliament on Monday swore in Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as interim president, two days after U.S. forces seized President Nicolás Maduro and flew him to New York to face drug trafficking charges.

Rodríguez took the oath during a ceremony at the National Assembly, saying she was doing so “in the name of all Venezuelans,” while vowing to defend national sovereignty amid what lawmakers denounced as a U.S. military assault.

She said she was “in pain over the kidnapping of our heroes, the hostages in the United States,” referring to Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were detained alongside other Venezuelan officials.

Lawmakers condemned the capture of the leftist leader but pledged full support for Rodríguez, who had served as Maduro’s vice president, following an operation that shocked Caracas and drew global attention.

Outside the legislature, thousands of supporters gathered to demand Maduro’s release, chanting, “Maduro, hold on: Venezuela is rising!”

“Regardless of whether Nicolás Maduro has something to answer for in court, this was not the way to do it,” protester Flur Alberto, 32, told AFP.

Inside the assembly, lawmakers reelected Rodríguez’s brother, Jorge Rodríguez, as parliament speaker, consolidating the family’s control over both the executive and legislative branches.

As the session opened, lawmakers chanted “Let’s go, Nico!” a slogan from Maduro’s 2024 reelection campaign, which was widely rejected by the opposition and dozens of governments, including Washington, as fraudulent.

On President Donald Trump’s orders, U.S. military forces launched strikes on Caracas early Saturday and detained Maduro and Flores, flying them to New York to stand trial on drug trafficking charges.

“The president of the United States claims to be the prosecutor, the judge, and the policeman of the world,” senior lawmaker Fernando Soto Rojas told the chamber. “You will not succeed,” he said, vowing Maduro would return “victorious” to the presidential palace.

Witnesses reported gunfire late Monday near Miraflores Palace, the seat of government. A source close to the administration said unidentified drones flew over the complex and security forces opened fire in response, adding the situation was under control.

Court backing and military support

Venezuela’s Supreme Court on Saturday ordered Rodríguez to assume the presidency in an acting capacity, and the military publicly backed her a day later.

Jorge Rodríguez vowed to use “all procedures, all platforms and all avenues” to secure Maduro’s return. Maduro’s son, lawmaker Nicolás Maduro Guerra, also pledged support, telling Rodríguez the country was “in good hands” until his parents’ return.

Venezuela’s single-chamber parliament was elected last May in a vote boycotted by much of the opposition, leaving the ruling United Socialist Party and its allies with an overwhelming majority.

Addressing supporters outside the assembly, Maduro Guerra said he remained in “indirect” contact with his father and urged demonstrators to remain calm.

Rodríguez, who earlier insisted Maduro remained Venezuela’s “only” president, later signaled willingness to cooperate with Washington, which has said it would engage with Venezuelan leaders under specific conditions.

Trump, however, warned Rodríguez she could face consequences worse than Maduro’s if she failed to comply with U.S. demands related to political reforms and access to Venezuela’s oil sector.