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His remarks came amid congressional scrutiny following the US raid that led to Nicolas Maduro’s capture and as the State Department moves toward reopening the US Embassy in Caracas.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the Trump administration stands ready 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… it is our hope that this will not prove necessary,” Rubio said.
Rubio stressed that, while the United States is not at war with Venezuela and has no troops on the ground, the administration expects continued alignment with US demands following the January 3 operation that led to the capture of then Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Conditions for cooperation: Oil and trade access
Rubio outlined what he described as central US objectives for Caracas, saying Acting President Delcy Rodriguez had signaled some willingness to work with the US Government on economic issues.
These objectives include:
-Opening Venezuela’s energy sector to US companies.
-Providing preferential access to oil production.
-Using Venezuela’s oil revenue to buy American goods.
Rubio argued that Rodriguez’s self‑interest should align with advancing these goals, warning that cooperation would solidify economic and strategic ties between the two countries.
Maduro’s capture and Congressional scrutiny
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 criminal charges, including narco‑terrorism. Rubio hailed the mission as a law‑enforcement success achieved without American casualties.
However, Democrats have sharply criticized the raid as an illegal act of war that bypassed congressional approval and risks drawing the United States into an open‑ended engagement in Venezuela.
Republicans largely defended the president’s authority, but Rubio faced unusually tough questioning from members of his own party over transparency, execution, and long‑term strategy.
Diplomatic shift: Embassy reopening
Amid high‑stakes 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 a possible reopening of the US Embassy — shuttered since 2019.
Rubio to meet Maria Corina Machado
Rubio also announced plans to meet with Venezuelan opposition figure Maria Corina Machado at the State Department later Wednesday, underlining Washington’s ongoing engagement with democratic alternatives following Maduro’s ouster.
Machado, who reemerged after years in hiding to accept a Nobel Peace Prize and has aligned with US policy initiatives, symbolizes the broader struggle over Venezuela’s political future.
English (US) ·