In a move that drew international attention, U.S. President Donald Trump posted a digitally altered image on his Truth Social account purporting to show him as the “Acting President of Venezuela.” The image was styled like a Wikipedia profile with Trump’s official portrait and the title “Acting President of Venezuela, Incumbent January 2026” beneath it — a claim that has no basis in Venezuelan law or global diplomatic recognition.
This provocative post came amid growing controversy following a U.S. military operation in early January that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. They were reportedly flown to the United States and have been charged with federal crimes; Maduro pleaded not guilty in U.S. court.
Despite Trump’s post, Venezuela’s actual interim leadership was determined through its constitution, not by any decree from Washington. The Supreme Tribunal of Justice in Caracas appointed Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as acting president after Maduro’s removal. This succession reflects Venezuelan constitutional processes, and no international institution recognises Trump’s claim.
In addition to the Venezuela post, Trump also shared another engineered social media post joking about Marco Rubio as President of Cuba, adding the caption, “Sounds good to me,” which many observers saw as satire rather than an official diplomatic position.
The image shared online has intensified global debate about U.S. involvement in Venezuelan affairs, especially after Trump said U.S. forces would “run” Venezuela during the transition period and claimed the U.S. was “in charge” of the country following the operation. However, U.S. officials like Secretary of State Marco Rubio later clarified that Washington does not plan to govern Venezuela directly, even while it maintains pressure tactics such as an “oil quarantine.”
