The U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to defend the Trump administration’s Venezuela policy following a January U.S. military operation that ousted former President Nicolás Maduro.
Rubio told senators the U.S. expects Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, to align with U.S. priorities, including opening oil production to American firms, using revenues for U.S. goods, and ending oil shipments to Cuba.
🚨 Rubio: US ready to use force to secure Venezuela’s cooperation — reports
— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) January 28, 2026
Secretary of State Marco Rubio was expected to say in a prepared testimony seen by Bloomberg that Delcy Rodríguez “is well aware of the fate of Maduro” and that Washington believes her “self-interest… https://t.co/br5pPY9y4F pic.twitter.com/wbRQferSE9
Washington will “closely monitor” cooperation and is prepared to use force if diplomatic and economic methods fail to secure compliance.
Rubio insisted the U.S. is not at war with Venezuela and has no troops on the ground, framing the Maduro operation as law enforcement that led to his and his wife’s detention on drug charges in the United States.
He rejected Democratic criticism that the intervention amounted to an act of war. Rubio’s testimony comes amid broader scrutiny in Congress over war powers and the legality of the administration’s actions.
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TIPP Staff
TIPP Staff
