Donald Trump Declares Himself Acting President of Venezuela, Sparking Global Political Shock

In an unprecedented move in global politics, former U.S. President Donald Trump has declared himself the acting President of Venezuela.

Trump made the announcement on Sunday via his social media platform Truth Social, posting a photo with the caption stating that he assumed the position of Venezuela’s acting president as of January 2026. The declaration comes exactly one week after U.S. military forces reportedly kidnapped Venezuela’s elected President Nicolás Maduro, igniting severe political tensions across Latin America.

The crisis began on January 3, when U.S. forces conducted a lightning raid in Caracas, the Venezuelan capital. During the operation, President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were reportedly taken from their official residence and transported to New York City.

Both Maduro and Flores are now held in a federal detention facility in New York on charges of drug trafficking, with U.S. courts preparing to initiate legal proceedings against them. Reports indicate that at least 100 people were killed in Venezuela during the violent operation to capture Maduro.

Trump had previously warned that the U.S. would take control of Venezuela’s vast oil resources. Recently, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Washington would maintain indefinite control over the country’s energy sector and actively participate in governmental reforms. Rubio also indicated that ownership of Venezuela’s oil assets would eventually be returned to the Venezuelan government “at the appropriate time.”

Many international analysts view Trump’s self-declaration as a strategic maneuver to assert U.S. dominance over Venezuela’s oil industry.

Following Maduro’s abduction, Venezuela’s Supreme Court had recognized Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as the country’s acting president, and the Venezuelan military expressed support for her. Rodríguez had proposed maintaining cooperative relations with the U.S., but Trump’s latest declaration has further complicated the political equation.

At present, both Delcy Rodríguez and Donald Trump claim to be Venezuela’s acting president, plunging the country into an unprecedented administrative and sovereignty crisis. The move has already sparked intense debate worldwide over its legality under international law.