Venezuela's Acting President Delcy Rodríguez at a tribute to fallen soldiers, Caracas, January 8, 2026. Photo: Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/Reuters.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—On Monday, Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez announced changes to the Executive Cabinet. The first appointment she announced was that of Vice Admiral Aníbal Coronado, who will assume the Ministry for Ecosocialism.
Coronado replaces Ricardo Molina, who had been in charge of this office since February 2025. Regarding Coronado, Rodríguez said he will continue the “supreme objective of developing ecosocialism as a fundamental strategic line of our revolutionary process for the preservation of the environment.”
Later, Acting President Rodríguez announced the appointment of Captain Juan Escalona as the new minister of the Office of the Presidency. “I know that his loyalty, ability, and commitment will carry forward the monitoring of the development of the plans of our government alongside the people,” she wrote on social media.
Delcy Rodríguez assumed the Venezuelan presidency as interim president on January 5, following the illegal abduction of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores by US military forces after the air raid and bombing against civilian and military infrastructure. Over 100 Venezuelans were killed, and a similar number were wounded, in the attack.
Rodríguez’s appointment of Escalona, a member of President Maduro’s security team, as minister of the Office of the Presidency, replaces Vice Admiral Aníbal Coronado, who is now in charge of the Ecosocialism Ministry.
Following her appointment as acting president, Rodríguez announced the designation of General Gustavo Enrique López as the new commander of the Presidential Honor Guard, in charge of the Venezuelan president’s security. She recognized the work of outgoing General Javier Marcano Tábata, highlighting the dedication, loyalty, and unwavering commitment demonstrated throughout his tenure.
Meeting with European diplomats
Also on Monday, Acting President Rodríguez held a strategic meeting with heads of diplomatic missions from European Union member states, the United Kingdom, and the Swiss Confederation, as reported by Telesur.
“We reviewed the state of relations between Venezuela and the governments of the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the Swiss Confederation,” Foreign Minister Yván Gil stated after the meeting, describing it as a “frank, cordial, and pleasant” encounter.
Minister Gil highlighted that, among the points discussed, the need to move forward in productive relations, with openness to deeper and more intense avenues of dialogue, stands out.
He also reported that links in strategic sectors were reviewed. “We reviewed the trade and economic relations in areas such as energy, education, science, technology, and the pharmaceutical industry, in which European companies have been based in Venezuela for a long time,” he added in statements to the press.
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Gil mentioned that Acting President Rodríguez sent a clear message: Cooperation must be developed within a framework of respect and equality between states. He added that “We are ready to move forward with a new and intensive work agenda for the well-being of the peoples of Europe and Venezuela.”
Recently, Acting President Delcy Rodríguez also spoke by telephone with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. The main purpose of these calls was to inform them about the serious criminal, illegal, and illegitimate aggression perpetrated against Venezuela.
The meeting was also attended by Venezuelan National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez and Minister of the Interior, Justice, and Peace Diosdado Cabello. During the meeting, the official presented an assessment of the criminal US military attacks against Venezuela on January 3.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
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