Khaberni - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed in statements to US media today (Sunday) that the United States is not at war with Venezuela and that it will evaluate its new leadership based on their actions. This comes a day after the dramatic operation that resulted in the arrest of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife and their aerial transfer from Caracas to New York.
Rubio, in an interview with NBC, said: "We are at war with drug trafficking organizations, not with Venezuela." He added that the seizure of ships "carrying drugs to the United States" will continue.
Rubio expressed his expectation for "more cooperation and consensus from Venezuela." He clarified that the United States "was unable to reach an agreement or settlement with Maduro", despite receiving "very generous offers", adding that Maduro "could have left Venezuela a week and a half ago".
Rubio said: "He had chances to avoid all this." According to the New York Times, Maduro last month refused Trump's offer of asylum in Turkey. It is also reported that Maduro's insistence on appearing in public since then, indicating dismissals of US threats while dancing to a mix of his speech "No to the insane war", convinced administration officials of the need to proceed with the arrest operation.
Rubio said that Washington will hold Venezuelan leaders, including interim president Delcy Rodriguez, accountable for their actions. He added in a statement to CBS: "If they do not make the right decisions, the United States has significant leverage to ensure the protection of our interests, including an oil embargo." He continued: "We will evaluate everything based on their actions, and we will see what they will do."
Rubio emphasized: "The impact of this embargo on their future cannot be overstated." He stressed that the alternative is "an oil industry that actually benefits the people" and not just a few.
Rubio added that the United States will give Venezuela "an opportunity to address the issues" raised by the Trump administration. Until then, Venezuela will continue to face an oil embargo and US pressure, in addition to actions against "drug trafficking boats" that will be intercepted and seized when necessary.
According to Rubio, the United States expects "to see changes in Venezuela", with the most urgent changes being those that "serve the national interest of the United States".
He stated that this will not legitimize the current government, but only after elections and a smooth transition of power are conducted. He described the situation as a country "where military and police officials openly collaborate with drug trafficking organizations".
