By : Goodluck E. Adubazi, Abuja,Nigeria
Africa News Nation learnt Venezuela’s Supreme Court ruled on Saturday that Vice President and Oil Minister Delcy Rodríguez will assume the role of interim president following the detention of President Nicolás Maduro earlier that morning during a U.S. military operation.
In a decision issued by the court’s Constitutional Chamber, the justices stated that Rodríguez would take on the presidency to ensure “administrative continuity and the comprehensive defense of the Nation.”
The ruling also said the court would continue deliberations to determine the appropriate legal framework to maintain the continuity of the state, the functioning of the government, and the defense of national sovereignty during what it described as the president’s forced absence.
During an Interview with ‘Fox and Friends News Weekend’ President Donald Trump said Maduro got “bum rushed so fast” by American special forces.
“We waited four days. We were going to do this four days ago, three days ago, two days ago. And then, all of a sudden, it opened up, and we said, ‘Go,’” Trump said, adding Maduro was in a “very highly-guarded” house.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Trump and Marco Rubio
CIA Director John Ratcliffe, left, President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio watch from Mar-a-Lago in Florida as the U.S. military carried out an operation and captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife early Saturday. (Donald Trump via TruthSocial)
“He was in a house that was more like a fortress than a house. It had steel doors. It had what they call a safety space, where it’s, you know, solid steel all around. He didn’t get that space closed. He was trying to get into it, but he got bum rushed so fast that he didn’t get into that,” Trump said.
“We were prepared. We had, you know, massive blowtorches and everything else that you need to get through that steel. But we didn’t need it. He didn’t make it to that area of the house.”
Maduro was captured by the Army’s Delta Force, a U.S. official briefed on the matter told Fox News.
The source said the CIA provided the intelligence to the Department of War that helped track down the Venezuelan dictator.
