Venezuelan Vice President Delcy RodrĂguez addressing the nation on January 3, 2026, following the news of the US abducting President Nicolás Maduro. Photo: Screenshots from publicly broadcast video footage.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—Despite the shock caused by the images, videos, and life experiences of millions of Venezuelans in the hours following the abominable US strikes against the country and the abduction of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets nationwide to demand the return of their president. Simultaneously, all levels of the state issued pronouncements in support of the Constitutional order and respect for the nation’s institutions.
State institutions reaffirm Constitutional order and loyalty
Governors and mayors from the majority of the country recorded and spread videos online reaffirming their allegiance to President Maduro and Constitutional legality; they were joined in these efforts by the people and leaders of the military, including General Vladimir Padrino LĂłpez, Strategic Operations Commander of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB, Venezuela’s military) and Minister of Defence. Meanwhile, the Public Ministry, National Assembly, and Supreme Court of Justice passed resolutions or issued statements in the same vein. These actions demonstrate that the institutional order of Venezuela remains unaffected despite the atrocity committed by US imperialism.
This was early today! chavismo is pretty much alive! Venezuela is not Syria! https://t.co/CqgZR8Izud
— Orinoco Tribune (@OrinocoTribune) January 3, 2026
Physical resistance amid blackouts and holiday shortages
Many areas of Caracas and other regions of the country remain without electricity after 20 hours. The blackout is directly linked to the preceding US military attacks. This did not prevent thousands of Venezuelans from mobilizing; however, many others went to grocery stores to replenish their kitchens with the small amount of fresh products typical of the end-of-year holidays in Venezuela.
International condemnation and global demonstrations
Demonstrations against US imperialism and its unprecedented strikes on Venezuelan soil were reported in several cities around the world. Protesters in Paris were particularly visible at the Place de la RĂ©publique, and additional demonstrations and acts of protest were reported in Havana, Cuba; in Mexico City, Mexico; in an estimated 100 US cities, including New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Seattle, San Francisco, and Washington, DC; in major Canadian cities, including Toronto and Montreal; in India, particularly at the All India Conference in Visakhapatnam; and in many European nations, including Greece, Italy, and the Spanish cities of Valencia and Barcelona.
Threats and neo-colonialist rhetoric from Washington
Many analysts highlighted several key elements from the earlier press conference held by US President Donald Trump in Washington, which was characterized by its neofascist and neocolonialist nature:
• Trump threatened more military strikes against Venezuela if he deems them necessary.
• He also threatened Mexico, Colombia, and Cuba as potential future US military targets.
• He dismissed any possibility of far-right Venezuelan politician Maria Corina Machado running Venezuela, claiming—as most analysts do—that she lacks sufficient support within the country.
Constitutional succession and the path forward
The Venezuelan Constitution stipulates that in the absence of the president, the vice president must fill the vacuum. If the absence occurs before the midpoint of the presidential term, as in the current case, the vice president must call for presidential elections within the following 90 days. This scenario opens the possibility of a special presidential election in Venezuela.
It remains unclear if Vice President Delcy RodrĂguez will follow the Constitutional path of presidential succession or if the PSUV will instead continue to demand the return of President Maduro—a formula that many consider highly improbable—or whether both of these options will be pursued simultaneously.
Many analysts claim that, given the deplorable state of the Venezuelan far-right opposition and the consolidation of forces in support of Chavismo in recent months—especially following the US strikes—the most probable outcome will be a new electoral victory for supporters of the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela. However, US military threats and electoral meddling could impact the results of these elections. A potential new electoral victory for Chavistas could produce repeated US interventions until a president favored by US imperialism arrives at Miraflores Palace.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/JRE/SL
