On January 4th, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio clarified Washington's position on Venezuela, affirming that the US would not interfere in the day-to-day governance of the South American nation, beyond continuing to strictly enforce the existing oil embargo. Rubio's statement quickly attracted international attention, as it was XEM as a move to adjust and "de-escalate" the controversial earlier statements by President Donald Trump.
The day before, Trump had declared that the U.S. would “run” Venezuela after the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro, a statement that fueled speculation about the possibility of Washington becoming more deeply involved, even directly controlling the administration in Caracas. These vague statements immediately increased concerns among observers that the Trump administration might be pushing the U.S. into a prolonged foreign intervention scenario, or a risky “nation-building” effort with a history of negative consequences.
Also Read: Trump: The US Will Temporarily 'Take Over' Venezuela
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In this context, Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered a more specific interpretation of the White House's intentions. According to him, the "control" that President Trump referred to was not direct control of Venezuela, but rather the continued use of economic sanctions, particularly the blockade of oil tankers already on the sanctions list. He emphasized that this was a crucial leverage point to pressure the Venezuelan government to change its policies, both in the areas of oil extraction and distribution and in the fight against transnational drug trafficking.
Speaking on CBS's Face the Nation program, Rubio said the U.S. would maintain the blockade and seizure of sanctioned oil tankers until changes that Washington deems appropriate, not only serving U.S. national interests but also leading to a better future for the Venezuelan people, emerge. According to the U.S. Secretary of State, this economic pressure is expected to force Venezuela's oil industry to operate more transparently, delivering tangible benefits to the people instead of just serving the ruling elite.
