Venezuela Acting President Says U.S. Forces Gave 15‑Minute Ultimatum After Maduro’s Capture

Venezuela Acting President Says U.S. Gave 15-Minute Ultimatum After Maduro Capture.

Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, has claimed that after former president Nicolás Maduro was captured, U.S. forces gave her, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, and her brother, congressional president Jorge Rodríguez, 15 minutes to comply with American demands “or they would kill us,” according to a leaked recording.

The two-hour meeting, held a week after the U.S. operation and obtained by local journalists, shows Rodríguez detailing the threats, saying that she and her colleagues were told Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores had been killed, not kidnapped. She added that their priority was to preserve political power, maintain peace, and rescue hostages.

Rodríguez said her cooperation with the U.S. was motivated by “constant threats and blackmail,” not voluntary alignment, even as former U.S. president Donald Trump publicly praised her leadership. Analysts, however, question her account. Historian Margarita López Maya told The Guardian that Rodríguez may be framing the narrative to protect herself, noting that Maduro’s removal likely involved internal complicity.

Since Maduro’s capture, Rodríguez has taken control of the government, reportedly complying with U.S. requests while Trump has touted her leadership and signaled U.S. access to Venezuela’s oil reserves.