Trump declares himself 'Acting President of Venezuela' on Truth Social

In an unprecedented move that has drawn international attention, US President Donald Trump declared himself “Acting President of Venezuela” in a Sunday post on Truth Social, days after a controversial US military operation resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

The post, which featured an image of Trump identifying himself as the acting leader of Venezuela and stating "Incumbent January 2026", has sparked widespread debate.

Trump announced after the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro that the US administration would “run” Venezuela and its oil assets during what he described as a "transition period."

Venezuelan vice president Delcy Rodrigues was sworn in as interim president last week.