U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that President Donald Trump does not rule out the use of force if Venezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, does not cooperate with Washington. This is stated in the speech that the head of U.S. diplomacy will deliver on Wednesday before the Senate to explain U.S. policy on Venezuela following the January 3 attack in Caracas, which resulted in the overthrow and capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. "We will closely monitor the performance of the interim authorities as they cooperate with our phased plan to restore stability in Venezuela," the text of the speech reads. On Tuesday, Trump stated that he had not heard those statements and reaffirmed that he has a "very good relationship" with the interim government. In his speech before the Senate, Rubio will emphasize that the attack in Venezuela, for which the government did not seek Congressional approval, was not a war or the occupation of a foreign country, but a "judicial operation." In this operation, he asserts, "two drug traffickers" were captured who will be tried in the United States — referring to Maduro and his wife. He also asserts that Maduro "was not a legitimate head of state," as many countries did not recognize his re-election in 2024, in which he lost and "refused to peacefully cede power." "Make no mistake: as the president has stated, we are prepared to use force to ensure maximum cooperation if other methods fail," Rubio's speech, published on Tuesday, reads. The Secretary of State hopes that "this will not be necessary," but warns that the Donald Trump administration "will never shrink" from its duty to the American people or its mission to lead the American continent. According to Rubio, Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro's vice president who took power after the fall of the Chavist leader, "has expressed her intention to cooperate with the United States." He asserts that the interim president "has committed to opening Venezuela's energy sector to U.S. companies" and granting them "preferential access." He also says that she "has promised to end Venezuela's oil support for the Cuban regime" and "to promote national reconciliation" with the opposition and Venezuelans abroad. "Rodríguez is fully aware of Maduro's fate; we believe that for her own personal interest, it coincides with the advancement of our objectives," the text states. Rubio's appearance will come after Rodríguez said this week that her government does not accept "external orders."
