CARACAS—In a move that raised eyebrows in diplomatic circles, in the early hours of Saturday Donald J. Trump named former Rep. George Santos the new president of Venezuela.

Speaking from Mar-a-Lago, Trump said that he had pardoned Santos last year in order to free him up for the Venezuelan post.

"Now George's prison cell is available for Maduro," he added.

From the presidential residence in Caracas, Santos said he was uniquely qualified for his new job, having been president of several South American countries including Colombia, Chile and Brazil.