Delcy Rodríguez assumed Venezuela’s interim presidency in January 2026 after U.S. forces captured Nicolás Maduro, who now faces U.S. drug charges. She has pursued close alignment with the Trump administration, including resource cooperation agreements, while initiating opposition talks on judicial reforms such as Supreme Court restructuring. In her September 2026 UN General Assembly address—the first in-person Venezuelan head-of-state speech there since 2018—she pledged elections as part of an “orderly legal transition” to full democracy but set no timeline, stating only that the Venezuelan people would determine the right moment. Ongoing dialogue rounds and U.S. emphasis on a vote continue to shape expectations around institutional changes and the duration of her unelected leadership.