US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the Trump administration is prepared to use force if Venezuela’s interim leadership does not fully cooperate with Washington on key strategic priorities.
“We are prepared to use force to ensure maximum cooperation if other methods fail … we hope that will not be necessary,” Rubio said.
Rubio emphasized that while the United States is not at war with Venezuela and has no troops on the ground, the administration expects continued compliance with U.S. demands following the Jan. 3 operation that led to the capture of then-Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Terms of cooperation: Access to oil and trade
Rubio outlined what he described as the main U.S. goals for Caracas, saying incumbent President Delcy Rodriguez had indicated some willingness to work with the U.S. government on economic issues.
These goals include:
-Opening the Venezuelan energy sector to US companies.
-Providing preferential access to oil production.
-Using Venezuela’s oil revenues to buy American goods.
Rubio argued that Rodriguez’s self-interest should align with pursuing those goals, warning that the cooperation would strengthen economic and strategic ties between the two countries.
Maduro’s capture and control of Congress
The hearing was Rubio’s first public testimony before Congress since the US military operation in Caracas that resulted in Maduro’s capture and transport to New York on charges of crimes including narco-terrorism. Rubio hailed the mission as a law enforcement success achieved without American casualties.
But Democrats sharply criticized the airstrike as an illegal act of war that bypassed congressional approval and risks drawing the United States into overt involvement in Venezuela.
Republicans have largely defended the president’s authority, but Rubio has faced unusually tough questioning from members of his own party over transparency, execution and long-term strategy.
Diplomatic Change: Reopening of Embassies
Amid the high-policy debate, the US State Department formally notified Congress that it plans to send additional diplomatic and support personnel to Caracas to begin preparations for the possible reopening of the US embassy – closed since 2019.
Rubio will face Maria Corina Machado
Rubio also announced plans to meet with Venezuelan opposition figure Maria Corina Machado at the State Department later Wednesday, underscoring Washington’s continued commitment to democratic alternatives after Maduro’s ouster.
Machado, who re-emerged after years in hiding to accept the Nobel Peace Prize and align himself with US political initiatives, symbolizes the broader struggle over Venezuela’s political future.
