If you’re looking for a simple name to put on a trivia card, you’re gonna be disappointed. Honestly, the answer to who is the venezuelan president depends entirely on which government you ask and which map you’re looking at.
As of mid-January 2026, the situation on the ground in Caracas is, well, chaotic. For over a decade, Nicolás Maduro held the reins with an iron grip, but a massive shift happened just weeks ago. On January 3, 2026, U.S. forces conducted a high-stakes military operation—codenamed Operation Absolute Resolve—and actually captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
They were flown to New York to face trial on narco-terrorism charges.
Wait, so does that mean he's not president? Not exactly. While Maduro is sitting in a cell in Manhattan, his administration hasn't just evaporated. Following his removal, the Venezuelan Supreme Tribunal of Justice stepped in and tapped Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to take over as the acting president.
The messy reality of Delcy Rodríguez
Right now, if you walk into the Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Delcy Rodríguez is the person in charge. She was sworn in on January 5, 2026. Her brother, Jorge Rodríguez (who runs the National Assembly), was the one who did the honors.
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It’s a weird vibe. On one hand, she’s been calling Maduro’s capture an "illegal kidnapping" and a violation of sovereignty. On the other hand, she’s already started talking to Washington. There are reports that she’s meeting with CIA officials to figure out a "way forward," mostly because the country's oil industry is basically on life support and the U.S. holds all the cards.
What about the opposition?
You’ve probably heard the name María Corina Machado. She’s the one who was widely believed to have won the 2024 election by a landslide, even though the government-controlled election council said otherwise. For a while, everyone thought she would be the one to step in if Maduro ever fell.
But politics is a brutal game.
Even though Machado is a Nobel Peace Prize winner (she got it in 2025), she’s currently sidelined. Interestingly enough, U.S. President Donald Trump has been more willing to cut a deal with Rodríguez than to install Machado. It sounds backwards, but the logic in D.C. seems to be that Rodríguez has the backing of the Venezuelan military, and Machado doesn't. Without the military, you can't really govern Venezuela.
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Edmundo González Urrutia, who was the actual candidate on the ballot against Maduro in 2024, is still mostly in exile in Spain. He’s released statements calling for freedom, but he’s not the one sitting in the big chair.
Who is the Venezuelan President recognized by the world?
This is where it gets even more confusing. The world is split into two very different camps.
- The "Maduro/Rodríguez" Camp: Countries like Russia, China, Iran, and Cuba still recognize the socialist administration. To them, Maduro is a political prisoner and Rodríguez is the legitimate acting leader.
- The "Transition" Camp: The U.S. and many Western European countries don't officially recognize Rodríguez as a democratically elected leader, but they are dealing with her as the "acting" authority because she’s the only one who can actually sign oil contracts right now.
It’s a pragmatism over principle kind of deal.
Why the 2024 election still haunts the office
To understand who is the venezuelan president, you have to look back at the 2024 mess. The official government tally claimed Maduro won with about 52% of the vote. However, the opposition managed to digitize and upload over 80% of the actual physical tally sheets from the voting machines. Those sheets showed Edmundo González winning with closer to 70%.
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The UN and the Carter Center both said the official results lacked "electoral integrity." But in Venezuela, having the votes doesn't always mean you get the office. Maduro used the Supreme Court to "validate" his win, and that was that. Until the helicopters showed up in January 2026.
The Oil Factor
Let’s be real. A big reason why the question of who is the venezuelan president is so heated is because of what’s under the ground. Venezuela has the world's largest proven oil reserves.
The Trump administration has been very vocal about "making Venezuelan oil great again." They want U.S. companies like Chevron and Exxon to go back in and rebuild the crumbling infrastructure. Delcy Rodríguez knows this. She’s already signaled that she’s willing to open up the taps if the U.S. plays ball. This is why she’s currently the acting president while the person who likely won the election is watching from the sidelines.
What to watch for next
The situation is moving fast. If you're trying to keep track of the leadership in Caracas, keep an eye on these three things:
- The Trial in New York: If Nicolás Maduro is convicted, any hope of him returning to power is officially dead. This would force the PSUV (his party) to permanently reorganize under Rodríguez or a new successor.
- The Military's Loyalty: The Venezuelan generals are the real kingmakers. As long as they stand behind Delcy Rodríguez, she is the president in every way that matters on the ground.
- New Elections: The U.S. is pushing for "free and fair" elections by the end of 2026. If that happens, we might finally get a president that both the Venezuelan people and the international community can agree on.
For now, the most accurate answer is that Delcy Rodríguez is the acting president, but the title remains one of the most disputed and dangerous jobs on the planet.
To stay updated on the legal proceedings and diplomatic shifts, you should follow the official bulletins from the U.S. Department of Justice regarding the Maduro trial and monitor the United Nations Security Council sessions on Latin American stability. These sources provide the most direct evidence of how the international community is formalizing its relationship with the new administration in Caracas.