After Delcy Rodriguez takes oath, Jairam Ramesh recalls her India links

With Delcy Rodriguez sworn in as Venezuela’s interim President, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday (January 7, 2026) drew attention to a meeting in August 2023 between Ms. Rodriguez and India’s then Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, saying “sadly nothing is heard of (him) these days”.

Ms. Rodriguez, who was the Vice-President under Nicolás Maduro, took oath as Venezuela’s interim President earlier this week after Mr. Maduro was captured and taken to the United States by U.S. forces in a dramatic military operation.

In a post on X, Mr. Ramesh noted that Ms. Rodriguez had visited India multiple times and, like Mr. Maduro, she has been a follower of Indian spiritual leader Satya Sai Baba. He also invoked Venezuelan national hero Simon Bolivar, whose statue stands in Delhi’s Chanakyapuri, underscoring Caracas’s historical ties with India.

The Congress had earlier raised serious concerns over the U.S. action in Venezuela, saying Washington’s unilateral moves violated established principles of international law. U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Mr. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, would face federal narco-terrorism charges in New York. India has expressed “deep concern” over the U.S. military action and said it is closely monitoring developments in the oil-rich South American nation.

Meanwhile, Ms. Rodriguez has indicated she will work with the Trump administration while navigating Venezuela’s volatile political transition.