Venezuela’s Power Structure Holds Despite Maduro’s US Detention

Despite dramatic statements from US President Donald Trump suggesting that Washington will “run” Venezuela following the detention of Nicolás Maduro in New York, the reality on the ground remains unchanged: power in Caracas is still firmly in the hands of Maduro’s allies, not the United States.

Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, is not a peripheral figure but a long-standing and influential member of Maduro’s inner circle of loyalists. Her position was formalised through a swearing-in by the Supreme Court, an institution widely regarded as loyal to Maduro’s political movement and dominated by his supporters. This process underscores the fact that Venezuela’s governing structures continue to operate under the control of those aligned with the former president.

It is therefore important to emphasise that, notwithstanding Trump’s rhetoric, the US does not currently exercise direct authority over Venezuela. Rodríguez and other Maduro allies remain in charge of state institutions and decision-making. While Rodríguez has publicly stated that Venezuela would defend itself against external pressure, Trump has hinted that cooperation could still emerge, particularly in areas of strategic interest such as increased US access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.

At present, US influence is not being exerted through military deployment. There are no American troops on Venezuelan soil, although Trump has not ruled out that possibility in the future. Instead, Washington appears to be relying on a different and highly symbolic form of leverage. The image of Maduro being taken into US custody and held in a New York detention centre has been presented as a powerful signal to those who remain loyal to him.

For Maduro’s allies, the message is clear. They are likely to be acutely aware that they, too, could face legal and political consequences if they resist US demands. While they retain formal control of the Venezuelan state, questions inevitably arise about how much freedom they feel they have to openly defy Washington’s pressure. On paper, authority remains theirs; in practice, the psychological impact of Maduro’s detention may weigh heavily on their calculations.

Maduro himself has been charged by US authorities with a range of serious offences, including “narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the United States”. Summarising these allegations, President Trump described them as evidence of Maduro’s “campaign of deadly narco-terrorism” directed at the US and its citizens.

Maduro has consistently denied the accusations, rejecting claims that he led or coordinated a drug cartel.