Venezuela swears in new leader - but who else wants the job?

The US incursion into Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolas Maduro has stirred the world like a kicked ants nest, but the country's own suddenly headless government moved swiftly.

Maduro's vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, herself also a member of previous leader Hugo Chavez's government, has been swiftly sworn in as interim president.

Neither she nor the White House have outlined specific steps forward, with Rodriguez condemning the attack and abduction of Maduro, before suggesting she's willing to work on an "agenda of cooperation" with the US.

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The Trump administration, in turn, has been similarly ambivalent, despite President Donald Trump saying the US would "run" the country, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying they would use existing pressures to force policy changes.

Trump told reporters he thought the US could work with Rodriguez, but that if she did not do "what's right", then "she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro".

Rodriguez, a trusted deputy of Maduro, has been viewed as unlikely to make blatant concessions to the US, and no opposition has emerged from within the government itself.

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Her brother Jorge Rodriguez is the current chair of Venezuela's National Assembly.

But nonetheless Rodriguez is not the only person vying for the country's shaken leadership.

Maduro has been accused of widespread fraud and candidate suppression in multiple elections, including leading opposition figure Maria Corina Machado.

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Machado won a huge primary vote in 2023, before being barred in 2024 from running in the presidential election, under charges of having committed conspiracy with 2018 opposition leader Juan Guaido.

That election, too, was marred by allegations of fraud against Maduro. Guaido now lives in exile.

But even with Machado out of the official picture, her supported candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, was deemed the official victor of the 2024 election by many international observers.

Gonzalez even called on the military to install him after Maduro's removal, claiming that was what the country's constitution demanded.

"As commander in chief, I remind you that your loyalty is to the constitution, to the people and to the republic," González said in a statement from his own home of exile in Spain.

"This is a historic moment. We face it with calm, clarity and democratic commitment."

But Gonzalez has not been mentioned by the White House, who if they have long-term plans for regime change beyond Maduro's removal, are not speaking of them.

And Trump on the weekend dismissed Machado's prospects of a return from the political wilderness, saying he did not believe she would have the "support" to lead.

But he told the New York Post "I like (Machado) very much".

Machado won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize coveted by Trump, but she praised the US leader in her acceptance speech.

Some analysts have said another possibility that the hard-line Rodriguez might be playing the role of a willing post-Maduro "caretaker".

"Her rise to power appears to be the result of some kind of understanding between the United States and key actors preparing for a post-Maduro scenario," fomer Venezuela-based diplomat and policy analyst Imdat Oner told CNN.

"In that context, she would essentially serve as a caretaker until a democratically elected leader takes office."

CNN has previously reported that US officials favoured Rodríguez since they believe she can provide a stable transition, offer a more professional relationship than Maduro – and, perhaps most importantly, ensure that future American energy investments are protected.

Additional reporting by CNN.

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