Rio de Janeiro, 29 January 2026 (dpa/MIA) - Venezuela's military on Wednesday pledged its loyalty to acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who has taken over following the capture by the United States of authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro.

"I call for the full support of [Rodríguez] and urge everyone to appreciate how important loyalty and cohesion are in these extraordinary times that our homeland is experiencing," Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino López said in an audio message published on Instagram.

Rodríguez formally assumed command of the armed forces later on Wednesday, a move that grants her all the powers of the presidency. During the ceremony, López said that the entirety of the armed forces of Venezuela "recognize and swear loyalty" to Rodríguez.

The military had already backed Rodríguez, who had been Maduro's vice president. The public show of loyalty by the armed forces, the decisive power factor in Venezuela, is seen as politically significant.

US forces captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, during a military operation on January 3 and took them out of the country. Maduro has since been charged in New York with drug offences.

Rodríguez was sworn in as interim president on January 5. Up to that point, she had been considered one of the most loyal figures in Maduro's inner circle. She has condemned his capture by the US as a violation of international law.

US President Donald Trump, however, struck a conciliatory tone toward Venezuela's current leadership. Rodríguez is the Venezuelan official leading talks with Washington, particularly over the management of her country's vast oil reserves.

MIA file photo