Venezuela's Interim Leader Pushes Back After Trump Shares 'Acting President' Post: 'There Is a President Held Hostage in the U.S.'

Venezuela's interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, pushed back against U.S. President Donald Trump after he shared a manipulated image on Monday portraying himself as the "acting president" of Venezuela, saying the country remains under Venezuelan authority and that its elected leader is being held in the United States.

"I've seen caricatures on Wikipedia about who rules Venezuela," Rodríguez said. "Well, here there is a government that governs Venezuela. Here there is an interim president, and there is a president held hostage in the United States," she added, referring to Nicolás Maduro, who was captured by U.S. forces on January 3 and transferred to New York to face narcotrafficking charges.

Rodríguez said her government was reaffirming Venezuela's sovereignty and independence while continuing to pursue international relations "based on respect and within the framework of international law" to defend the country's rights.

Trump shared the image on Truth Social over the weekend which resembled a Wikipedia entry listing him as Venezuela's "acting president" as of January 2026. Trump's actual Wikipedia page does not include that designation. The post followed repeated statements by Trump suggesting the United States is now effectively overseeing Venezuela after Maduro's arrest.

While Rodriguez has condemned Maduro's detention, she has also signaled a willingness to cooperate with Washington, particularly on energy policy and diplomatic engagement. U.S. officials visited Caracas on Friday to discuss reopening the American embassy, which has been closed since 2019. Venezuela's interim government has described the talks as an exploratory process to restore diplomatic missions.

Trump praised the interim authorities' cooperation over the weekend sayind that "Venezuela is really working out well" and that the administration is "working along really well with the leadership." He also added that Washington's direct oversight of the country could continue: "Only time will tell."

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed Trump's comments on Monday, saying that the administration has received "full cooperation" from Venezuela's provisional authorities, including commitments to free political prisoners, calling the outcome of the U.S. operation that led to Maduro's capture a success.