The U.S. Secretary of State outlined the administration’s short-term plans for Venezuela after Maduro’s capture.
WASHINGTON—Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” said that the United States will not tolerate a country in the Western Hemisphere becoming a hub for the activities of America’s global adversaries, such as China, Iran, and Russia.
“You can’t turn Venezuela into the operating hub for Iran, for Russia, for Hezbollah, for China, for the Cuban intelligence agents that control that country. That cannot continue,” Rubio said.
“You cannot continue to have the largest oil reserves, you know, in the world, under the control of adversaries of the United States.”
His comments were made after U.S. military forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in an operation that began in the evening on Jan. 2.
Maduro and his wife were transferred to New York on Jan. 3 and are currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. They face federal charges that include drug trafficking and collaborating with gangs designated as terrorist organizations.
During the interview, Rubio emphasized that U.S. adversaries are “exploiting and extracting resources” from countries around the world, specifically mentioning African countries.
“They’re not going to do it in the Western Hemisphere. That is not going to happen under President Trump. Read our national security strategy,” Rubio said, referring to the administration’s National Security Strategy, released in November, which represents a shift in focus and resources from the Middle East and Europe to the Western Hemisphere.
Rubio mentioned the Trump administration’s short- and long-term plans for Venezuela, saying the United States seeks a “holistic transition” in Venezuela over time and stressed that cooperation from the country’s military and police leadership is essential as an initial step.
“We expect to see more compliance and cooperation than we were previously receiving,” Rubio said. “So now there are other people in charge of the military and police apparatus there. They’re going to have to decide now what direction they want to go, and we hope they will choose a different direction than the one Nicolás Maduro picked.”
“We can’t have a country where the people in charge of its military and in charge police department are openly cooperating with drug trafficking organizations.”
Rubio underscored that the United States is not at war with Venezuela.
“We are at war against drug trafficking organizations and not a war against Venezuela,” he said.
When asked why the administration is engaging with Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, instead of working directly with opposition figure María Corina Machado, Rubio praised Machado, calling her “fantastic” and noting that he has known her for many years. However, he said the immediate reality is that much of the Venezuelan opposition is no longer in the country, while urgent short-term issues must be addressed on the ground.
“We care about elections. We care about democracy,” Rubio said. “But the number one thing we care about is the safety, security, well-being and prosperity of the United States. And that’s what we’re going to focus on first and foremost here.”
Rubio also said that the Cuban regime is “in a lot of trouble.”
“I don’t think it’s any mystery that we are not big fans of the Cuban regime, who, by the way, are the ones that were propping up Maduro,” he said.
Rubio declined to comment on what actions the administration might take against the Cuban regime.
However, he noted that Maduro’s internal security apparatus and intelligence operations are entirely controlled by Cubans.
“It was Cubans that guarded Maduro. He was not guarded by Venezuelan bodyguards,” Rubio said.
By Emel Akan
