Venezuela V-P to take over as Maduro held in U.S. jail

Why in News ?

• Venezuela’s Supreme Court appointed Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez as Acting President after President Nicolás Maduro was detained by U.S. authorities in New York during a covert night-time operation.
• The U.S. move — conducted without Congressional approval — led Venezuela to term it an “imperialist intervention.”
• India expressed concern for the well-being of Venezuelan people and called for dialogue and regional stability.

Relevance

GS-II | International Relations, Global Politics, India’s Foreign Policy

• Power transition, legitimacy & constitutional processes in foreign states
• U.S. interventionism vs sovereignty debate
• Political instability, sanctions, oil geopolitics, migration crisis
• India’s energy stakes & strategic neutrality

Basics — Political Context of Venezuela

• System: Presidential Republic under the Bolivarian Constitution.
• Ruling establishment: United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV).
• Maduro Presidency: Since 2013, succeeding Hugo Chávez.
• Venezuela faces:
  • hyperinflation
  • economic sanctions
  • oil-sector collapse
  • mass outward migration (~7.7 million people since 2015, per UNHCR)

Economic & Security Context 

• Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves (~303 billion barrels, OPEC).
• Oil output fell from ~3.2 million bpd (1998) to ~0.8–0.9 million bpd (2024, OPEC estimates) due to sanctions + infrastructure decline.
• Political instability worsens:
  • currency collapse
  • food & fuel shortages
  • social protection stress

India’s Position  

• India called for:
  • peace, dialogue, and stability
  • protection of Venezuelan people’s interests
• India has energy-economic stakes:
  • historic crude imports & investments by ONGC Videsh in Venezuelan fields (affected by sanctions).

Global Reactions — Likely Trajectories

• Supportive Western blocs may justify action under anti-narcotics/security framing.
• Russia, China, and regional allies likely to condemn U.S. intervention as sovereignty violation.
• Risk of:
  • internal political uncertainty
  • elite realignments
  • street-level mobilisation or repression

Venezuela 

• Location & Region
  • Located in northern South America; coastline along the Caribbean Sea & Atlantic Ocean.
  • Lies north of the Equator; part of the Tropical zone.
• Neighbouring Countries (Clockwise)
  • Colombia (W & SW)
  • Brazil (S & SE)
  • Guyana (E) — includes the disputed Essequibo region.
• Strategic Geography
  • Access to Caribbean maritime routes and Atlantic oil-shipping lanes.
  • Close proximity to Panama Canal trade corridor (regional relevance).
• Major Physical Features
  • Orinoco River Basin (one of South America’s largest river systems).
  • Guiana Highlands & tepui plateaus in the southeast.
  • Llanos grasslands in central Venezuela.
  • Andes extensions in the west (Merida Andes).
• Natural Resources 
  • Orinoco Belt → among the world’s largest heavy-oil reserves.
  • Mineral resources concentrated in Guiana Shield region.
• Geopolitical Hotspots
  • Guyana–Essequibo territorial dispute (east).
  • Migration corridors toward Colombia & Brazil (west/south crossings).