Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as the country’s interim leader in a parliamentary ceremony on Monday, following the U.S. arrest of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

Rodriguez, 56, who has served as vice president since 2018, described the operation as the “kidnapping” of Maduro and Flores. Both appeared in federal court in New York and pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.

The move has drawn international scrutiny. The United Nations Security Council held an emergency session, with Samuel Moncada, Venezuela’s ambassador, denouncing the action as an “illegal military attack.” U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz defended the operation, describing Maduro as an “illegitimate president” and asserting that the United States had acted to bring to justice an individual “trying to evade the law.”

President Donald Trump issued a warning to Venezuela’s new leadership, stating it “will probably pay a bigger price than Maduro if it does not act correctly.”

In her address to the National Assembly after taking office, Rodriguez pledged to maintain peace and stability, signalling continuity amid escalating tensions with the United States.