WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Marco Rubio took to the Sunday talk show circuit to clarify—and significantly temper—President Donald Trump’s recent assertion that the United States would “run” Venezuela following the ouster of Nicolás Maduro. According to Rubio, Washington has no intention of managing the daily affairs of the South American nation. Instead, the administration plans to utilize an “oil quarantine” as its primary lever of influence.
Rubio’s comments appeared to be a calculated effort to cool speculation that the U.S. was embarking on a prolonged foreign intervention or a nation-building project.
This clarification came just a day after President Trump stated the U.S. would at least temporarily “run” the oil-rich country, a broad declaration that implied a direct governing structure controlled by Washington.
Speaking on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Rubio offered a more nuanced interpretation of the President’s strategy. He explained that the “control” Trump alluded to refers specifically to maintaining the blockade on sanctioned oil tankers—a measure already in effect prior to Maduro’s removal from power on Saturday.
“And so that’s the sort of control the president is pointing to when he says that,” Rubio stated. “We continue with that quarantine, and we expect to see that there will be changes, not just in the way the oil industry is run for the benefit of the people, but also so that they stop the drug trafficking.”
The strategy relies heavily on economic leverage rather than administrative oversight. Rubio emphasized that the blockade on tankers, some of which have already been seized by U.S. forces, remains active. This “tremendous amount of leverage,” he argued, will persist until the U.S. sees shifts in policy that align with American national interests and improve conditions for the Venezuelan populace.
While the administration attempts to define the scope of its involvement, the situation on the ground remains volatile. Venezuelan leaders have publicly pushed back against the recent U.S. maneuvers, calling for Maduro’s release.
Simultaneously, the methods behind the administration’s pressure campaign are facing scrutiny. Even before the operation to capture Maduro, legal experts and scholars raised concerns regarding the legality of U.S. actions, specifically citing the deadly bombing of boats accused of drug trafficking as a tactic that may stretch the boundaries of international law.
By LESLIE BOLDEN/AOL
