From the Editorial
La Jornada Newspaper
Sunday, January 4, 2026, p. 3
The Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) of Venezuela ordered this Saturday night that the vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, “immediately assumes the presidency in charge of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in accordance with the provisions of article 234 of the Constitution,” after declaring “the temporary absence of the president of the republic, citizen Nicolás Maduro Moros, for all corresponding legal purposes.”
This is a joint decision of the Constitutional Chamber of the TSJ in response to the request for interpretation of constitutional article 233 made by Rodríguez in her capacity as vice president.
Earlier, Rodríguez asserted that “the only president of Venezuela is Nicolás Maduro” and demanded his immediate release along with his wife Cilia Flores.
Rodríguez addressed the country on national television in the afternoon when he headed the National Defense Council, the highest constitutional consultation body on defense and security matters.
At the meeting were the president of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez; the Minister of Defense, Vladimir Padrino; the head of the Strategic Operational Command of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces, General Domingo Hernández Lárez; the Minister of the Interior, Diosdado Cabello; the president of the Supreme Court of Justice, Caryslia Rodríguez; Attorney General Tarek W. Saab, and all the sectoral vice presidents of the Bolivarian government.
The above noted that the government and the powers of the State were fully operational. Rodríguez called on the Venezuelan people to unite and remain calm to face, in a civic-military-police fusion, the defense of sovereignty. He also reiterated the Bolivarian government’s willingness to understand and resolve the situation with Washington through dialogue.
“We are willing to have relationships of respect, within the framework of international legality and the laws of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, it is the only thing we will accept for a type of relationship after having attacked and militarily attacked our beloved nation,” he said.
At the same time, he stated that “Venezuela is not going to be anyone’s colony, of any old or new empire” and that “the country’s response will be unitary, organized and conscious, defending sovereignty with dignity.”
The vice president delivered the external shock decree, which Maduro had already signed, to the president of the Supreme Court for legal support by the Constitutional Chamber. He added that it would come into force immediately. This figure is one of the three forms of state of exception provided for in the Constitution and allows the government to fully activate the Bolivarian National Armed Forces throughout the territory to face situations that endanger the republic.
Shock and mobilization
The first hours after the bombing showed a population impressed by the impact of the serious events that occurred, while the political leadership called for permanent mobilization in defense of sovereignty.
The streets of Caracas and other cities in the country woke up empty, but late in the morning two panoramas began to emerge.
On the one hand, crowds of Chavistas and Maduro sympathizers gathered in the Bolívar squares of each city, led by the governors and mayors, to publicly express their rejection of the attacks. The other side of the atmosphere that existed in Venezuela was that of part of the population nervous and trying to buy groceries and medicines. Long lines were observed outside supermarkets and pharmacies.
The transport terminals were empty, neither the Metro nor the railway were running, while most people either stayed at home or moved cautiously. The Minister of the Interior, Diosdado Cabello, reported that security agencies were carrying out patrols to verify the situation in each sector and guarantee the continuity of public services.
The Foreign Minister, Yván Gil, constantly reported on social networks, as well as in national and international media, Venezuela’s decision to demand immediate action from the UN and other organizations to condemn and stop the aggression. He also reported on each gesture of solidarity received from other countries.
Although the number of victims was not known, messages circulated on networks and applications reporting dead and injured civilians. It should be noted that the attacked targets are surrounded by residential areas: Fuerte Tiuna; the La Carlota air base, in Caracas; the port of La Guaira; the Libertador air base, in Maracay, and the Higuerote airfield, in Miranda.
In the afternoon, the streets of Caracas looked desolate. However, mobilizations of Chavismo militants were also observed in some key points of the city, such as Plaza Bolívar and the outskirts of the Miraflores Palace.
Military and police officers patrolled under the command of Minister Diosdado Cabello.
Walking in the center of Caracas meant walking through stretches of lonely streets with intermittent groups of people walking in the direction of Urdaneta Avenue, where the presidential headquarters is located.
While on social networks you could see demonstrations abroad of Venezuelans celebrating the attack, in Caracas the picture was different: the only street demonstrations were those of those demanding the return of Maduro and denouncing imperialist aggression.
Outrage and no celebration
Antonio Guzmán, a 56-year-old Caracas native from the La Candelaria neighborhood, a few blocks from the government headquarters, said he went out with some neighbors because he considers it a duty to reject the “murderous aggression” of the United States against his country: “The homeland is sacred, it defends itself even from the most powerful empire,” he expressed angrily. Similar comments were heard among those walking towards the center, many shouting “give Maduro back!”
Johana Sánchez, a 29-year-old woman who was walking with a group of about eight people, seemed very affected by the violence of the attacks. “What they have done to us hurts a lot, because people died, innocent people were hurt; is that what they want for my country?” he managed to say on the verge of tears.
In other sectors of the city, such as the Chacao municipality, to the east, an area traditionally identified with the opposition, people preferred to remain in their homes and not express any public reaction to what happened in the early hours of January 3. The few people walking on the streets kept their brows furrowed and avoided any contact.
The Bolivarian government maintains control of the country. The governors spoke consecutively in the regions, leading street demonstrations, expressing their support for President Nicolás Maduro and denouncing the attack by the United States.
No one celebrated the kidnapping of President Maduro, rather the concern and fear of a possible second attack was evident, which Trump did not rule out and was still a possibility, since, at least on the day of the event, he did not manage to remove Chavismo from power.
