Chaos erupted near Venezuela's Miraflores Presidential Palace late Monday when heavy gunfire and possible drones rattled the capital, just hours after Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as interim president. The incident has heightened fears of instability following Nicolas Maduro's recent capture by US forces, leaving the socialist government scrambling to assert control.

Reports surfaced around 8 PM local time of intense bursts of gunfire echoing through Caracas streets surrounding the palace. Witnesses described tracer rounds streaking across the night sky as security forces responded to what they believed were hostile drones overhead, with one resident mistaking red lights for aircraft before panic set in. The clash was brief—lasting under a minute—but videos on social media showed troops mobilizing quickly, reminiscent of the earlier raid that led to Maduro's ouster.

Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro's loyal vice president and a staunch party insider, took the oath of office in a National Assembly ceremony led by her brother Jorge. In a fiery address, she labeled Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores as "hostages" of foreign powers, pledging to defend Venezuela's sovereignty amid swirling rumors of US intervention. Maduro, now detained in New York facing narco-terrorism charges, remains defiant from court, insisting he's still the legitimate leader.

This flare-up comes against a backdrop of dramatic US actions, including Maduro's seizure and President Trump's demands for cooperation from the new leadership. With Venezuela's massive oil reserves in play, analysts see oil diplomacy as a potential off-ramp, but warnings of further consequences loom if instability persists. No group has claimed responsibility for the gunfire, and government spokespeople downplayed it as contained, though the Communications Ministry stayed silent initially.

Venezuela's turmoil, rooted in years of economic woes and contested 2024 elections deemed fraudulent by many, threatens to spark migration surges and border strains for neighbors like Colombia. As Rodriguez consolidates power, the world watches closely—could this lead to negotiated calm or deeper conflict? Stay tuned for updates as the situation unfolds.