Venezuela interim presidency, US immunity push, trial date

In early July 2026, Venezuelan legal scholars noted the constitutional deadline for Delcy Rodríguez’s interim leadership had passed, leaving the country without a president. They called for a citizen‑led transition and elections within 30 days. On the same day Rodríguez appointed Román Maniglia to head the tax authority (SENIAT) to digitalise the tax system.

Two weeks later the United States moved to protect Rodríguez from a civil suit in Florida alleging kidnappings, torture and terrorism linked to the Chávez government. The State Department asked the Justice Department to grant head‑of‑state immunity, arguing that Rodríguez “enjoys immunity while she remains in office.” A July 15 judgment awarded $314 million against former President Nicolás Maduro and other officials but expressly excluded Rodríguez.

On July 11, State Department legal adviser Reed Rubinstein sent a letter to Deputy Attorney General Brett Shumate requesting that the DOJ file a motion for judicial immunity for Rodríguez. The Venezuelan embassy in the United States also asked the State Department to certify her immunity.

On July 21, U.S. federal prosecutors and the defense team for Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores jointly proposed that their criminal trial—centered on narcoterrorism and cocaine‑importation charges stemming from their January 3 capture—begin in June 2027 in the Southern District of New York. The joint proposal was submitted to the Department of Justice, and Judge Alvin Hellerstein is expected to formally set the June 2027 date at an upcoming hearing. The defense plans to file its first motions in September, while prosecutors aim to disclose classified evidence by November. The immunity request for Rodríguez remains under consideration as the U.S. prepares for the upcoming trial schedule, with the administration urging a swift filing to secure Rodríguez’s immunity under the March 5 recognition of her acting chief‑of‑state status.