Washington, Jan 28 (AP): US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to warn Congress that the Trump administration could take further military action against Venezuela if the country’s interim leadership fails to follow US expectations, according to prepared testimony for Wednesday’s Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing.
Rubio emphasized that the United States is not at war with Venezuela and that its interim leaders are cooperating. However, he stressed that additional force remains an option if other measures fail, following a recent raid to capture former President Nicolas Maduro. “We are prepared to use force to ensure maximum cooperation if other methods fail. It is our hope this will not prove necessary, but we will never shy away from our duty to the American people,” Rubio’s statement said.
In his testimony, Rubio is expected to defend Trump’s actions in removing Maduro to face US drug trafficking charges, authorizing military strikes on suspected drug smuggling vessels, and seizing sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers. He will also maintain that the US has not deployed troops on the ground in Venezuela and that these operations are part of law enforcement support.
While congressional Democrats have criticized Trump’s moves as exceeding executive authority, most Republicans support them. A House resolution under the War Powers Act directing Trump to withdraw US forces from Venezuela was narrowly defeated.
Rubio’s remarks come amid US efforts to normalise ties with Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez. Rubio underscored that Rodríguez must comply with US objectives, which include opening Venezuela’s energy sector to American companies, directing oil revenues toward US goods, and ending subsidized oil exports to Cuba.
Rodríguez said on Tuesday that her government and the Trump administration have established “respectful and courteous channels of communication” and are coordinating a working agenda. Since Jan. 8, at least 266 political prisoners have been released, a move Trump described as a “powerful humanitarian gesture.”
The State Department has notified Congress of plans to send additional diplomatic staff to Caracas to prepare for a potential reopening of the US Embassy, closed since 2019. Rubio is also scheduled to meet Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who returned to Washington after Maduro’s ouster.
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