Donald Trump has referred to himself as the “acting President of Venezuela” by sharing a fabricated Wikipedia page on his social media platform. The post on Truth Social depicts Trump as the ‘incumbent’ starting from January 2026, following the capture of Nicolas Maduro, seemingly aimed at Delcy Rodriguez, the country’s interim president.
After US forces apprehended Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on January 3 in Caracas, Maduro’s former vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, was sworn in last week. Maduro has maintained his innocence and claimed his rightful leadership over Venezuela.
The falsified Wikipedia entry by Trump features his official portrait from his assumption of the US presidency last year, labeling him as the “acting President of Venezuela” in addition to his role as President of the United States.
The Trump administration has declared that the US will oversee Venezuela until it achieves stability and self-governance, without specifying a timeline. Amid skepticism about Trump’s motives regarding Venezuela’s resources, he met with oil company executives, signaling the US interest in managing oil distribution.
Despite Venezuela possessing the world’s largest proven crude oil reserves, its daily production averages around one million barrels, significantly lower than the US’s 13.9 million barrels per day in October.
The White House is framing its intervention in Venezuela in economic terms. Trump has intercepted tankers carrying Venezuelan oil, announced US control over the sales of 30 to 50 million barrels of previously sanctioned Venezuelan crude, and plans to oversee global sales indefinitely.
Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, has pushed back against Trump’s actions, warning her of consequences worse than Maduro’s if she fails to align Venezuela with US interests, including granting access to American energy companies. Rodriguez emphasized her resilience, stating, “My destiny is not determined by them, but by God.”