Marco Rubio warned before the Senate that the transition can't be extended indefinitely and emphasized that he is keeping all options open to protect his security
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The United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, stated before the Senate that the political transition in Venezuela can't be prolonged indefinitely and assured that Washington expects concrete progress in the coming months after the fall of the narco-dictator Nicolás Maduro. Although he ruled out immediate plans for a new military operation, he made it clear that Donald Trump's administration is keeping all options open if direct threats to U.S. security arise.
The statements were made during a hearing dedicated to explaining the strategy following the January 3 operation, which culminated in the overthrow and capture of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, both wanted by the U.S. justice system on charges related to drug trafficking.
Washington rules out a military escalation but doesn't give up its options
Rubio was emphatic in pointing out that there is currently no intention to move forward with sustained military action in Venezuela. "I can assure you with total certainty that we are not preparing nor do we expect to have to take any military action in Venezuela", he declared before the senators.
However, he clarified that this stance doesn't imply an absolute renunciation of the use of force. "If an Iranian drone factory appears that threatens our forces in the region, the president retains the option of eliminating it", he explained, stressing that Trump, as commander in chief, never rules out his options.
Marco Rubio exigió avances rápidos en la transición venezolana
The January 3 operation: a judicial action, not a war
The head of U.S. diplomacy defended the legality and nature of the operation that ended with Maduro's capture. According to Rubio, it was not an invasion or a military occupation.
"It was not the occupation of a foreign country, but an operation to arrest two people wanted by the U.S. justice system", he maintained, emphasizing that the current military presence is limited to the Marines in charge of embassy security.
Rubio also warned that a larger-scale armed intervention could prove counterproductive to the political objectives. "A military action would set back the transition and the recovery", he stated.
"The transition can't last forever"
During the hearing, Rubio drew a parallel with historical processes of democratic transition in countries such as Spain and Paraguay, where the departure of authoritarian regimes took time but was not indefinite.
"I can't give an exact deadline, but the transition can't last forever", he warned. In that regard, he estimated that within a period of three to five months there should be substantial progress compared with the current situation.
"I will probably be able to give a better answer when we have people on the ground", he noted, in reference to the diplomatic deployment and direct work with local actors.
Marco Rubio exigió avances rápidos en la transición venezolana
Venezuela as a regional strategic risk
Rubio recalled that under Chavismo Venezuela had become a strategic risk for the region and for the United States, functioning as an operations base for Iran, Russia, and China, in addition to becoming a hub of international drug trafficking.
"It was a drug-trafficking regime that cooperated with the FARC and the ELN, with a devastating impact on Colombia, the Caribbean, and the entire hemisphere", he stated before the senators.
The first objective after Maduro's fall, he explained, was to avoid a power vacuum, a civil war, or a massive exodus toward neighboring countries.
Economic stabilization and oil under U.S. supervision
To avoid immediate economic collapse, Washington agreed on a temporary mechanism that allows the commercialization of sanctioned Venezuelan oil at market price.
"The funds are deposited in an account supervised by the United States and are used to cover the basic needs of the Venezuelan people, such as medicines, salaries, and equipment", Rubio explained. He clarified that this is a transitional solution and not a permanent scheme.
Currently, the revenues are channeled through an account in Qatar, although he indicated that in the future they will be managed directly by the Treasury Department.
The role of the opposition and the limits of residual Chavismo
Rubio pointed out that opposition leader María Corina Machado, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, "can be part of" the transition process, although he acknowledged an uncomfortable reality: control of the weapons and much of the state apparatus remains in the hands of the structure inherited from Chavismo.
"Whether we like it or not, control of the institutions and the weapons remains in the hands of the regime", he admitted, stressing the need for an inclusive but firm transition, with real work on the ground and not just phone contacts with figures such as Delcy Rodríguez.
Final objective: a democratic Venezuela aligned with the West
The Secretary of State reiterated that the strategic objective of the Trump administration is to build "a friendly, stable, prosperous, and democratic Venezuela." In that framework, he mentioned initial progress such as the discussion of a reform of the Hydrocarbons Law, which would eliminate restrictions imposed during Chavismo.
"It is not going to change overnight, but today we are much better off than a few weeks ago", Rubio assessed, while acknowledging that the process faces internal resistance and external pressure from actors such as Iran, Russia, and China.
Limited progress and gradual release of political prisoners
Rubio acknowledged concrete progress, such as the release of political prisoners and a limited opening to pluralism, although he admitted that the pace is slower than expected.
"They are being released more slowly than I would like, but they are being released", he stated, highlighting that some of those released have already begun to rejoin political life
