Donald Trump has self-proclaimed himself as the “acting President of Venezuela” by sharing a fabricated Wikipedia page on his social media platform. The post on Truth Social depicts Trump as the ‘incumbent’ starting from January 2026, following the capture of Nicolas Maduro. This move seems to be a subtle jab at the interim president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez.
Maduro’s former vice president, Rodriguez, was sworn in recently after US forces apprehended Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on January 3 in Caracas. They have since been brought to New York to face narco-terrorism charges, with Maduro maintaining his innocence and claiming his rightful leadership of Venezuela.
In the fictitious Wikipedia entry created by Trump, his official portrait from assuming the US presidency last year is featured, labeling him as the “acting President of Venezuela” in addition to his role as the President of the United States.
Following the capture of Maduro, the Trump administration has declared its intention to oversee Venezuela until it stabilizes and can govern itself independently. However, no specific timeline has been provided for this transition. Critics speculate that Trump’s interest in Venezuela may be driven by its abundant resources, as evidenced by his meetings with major oil company executives, indicating a potential aim to control oil distribution in the region.
Despite Venezuela possessing the world’s largest proven crude oil reserves, its average daily production is around one million barrels, which pales in comparison to the US’s average daily production of 13.9 million barrels in October.
The White House is framing its involvement in Venezuela as an economic initiative, with Trump ordering the seizure of tankers carrying Venezuelan oil and announcing US control over the sales of 30 to 50 million barrels of previously sanctioned Venezuelan crude, with plans to manage global sales indefinitely.
Venezuela’s acting president, Rodriguez, has responded defiantly to Trump’s actions, warning that she will not be swayed and stating that her fate lies in God’s hands, not in the threats made by others.
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