US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to warn that the Trump administration is prepared to take further military action against Venezuela if the country’s interim leadership fails to meet US expectations.
In prepared testimony for a hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday, Rubio says the United States is not at war with Venezuela and that its interim leaders are cooperating. However, he stresses that Washington would not rule out the use of additional force if other measures fail, following a recent raid that led to the capture of former president Nicolas Maduro.
“We are prepared to use force to ensure maximum cooperation if other methods fail,” Rubio says in his opening statement released by the State Department. He added that the administration hopes military action will not be necessary, but will act to protect US interests.
Rubio is expected to defend President Donald Trump’s decisions to remove Maduro to face US drug trafficking charges, carry out military strikes on boats suspected of smuggling narcotics, and seize sanctioned tankers carrying Venezuelan oil. He rejects claims that the administration violated the Constitution, saying the actions were law enforcement operations and not acts of war.
Republican Senator Jim Risch, chairman of the committee, plans to support the administration, calling the actions legal and within the president’s authority.
Democrats, led by Senator Jeanne Shaheen, are expected to question the costs and effectiveness of the operation, noting that much of the former regime’s leadership remains in place.
Rubio will also make clear that interim leader Delcy Rodriguez is expected to comply with US demands, including opening Venezuela’s energy sector to American companies and ending subsidised oil exports to Cuba. Rodriguez has said communication channels with Washington are open, even as debate continues in Congress and the courts over the administration’s actions.