US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has declined to rule out future military action in Venezuela, telling a Senate hearing that President Donald Trump 'does reserve the option' to use force in self-defence. However, Rubio insisted the administration does not intend to take such steps, stating 'with full certainty' that the US is not postured for military action in Venezuela.
Testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday, Rubio was pressed by Senator Chris Murphy on whether the administration would use force to compel cooperation on oil sales. Rubio cited a hypothetical scenario involving an Iranian drone factory threatening US forces but acknowledged that 'military action is not good for recovery and transition'.
Rubio defended the removal of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who now faces drug-trafficking charges in the US, and the ongoing campaign of boat strikes targeting suspected drug smugglers. He characterised the operations as law enforcement actions, stating: 'There is no war against Venezuela, and we did not occupy a country.'
During the hearing, Rubio acknowledged that the administration granted no-bid licences to two US oil trading companies to quickly move Venezuelan oil to market, describing this as a 'short-term fix' due to storage capacity issues. He outlined a long-term plan involving direct sales to refineries and expanded operations by companies like Chevron.
Rubio refused to commit to a specific timeline for democratic transition but expressed confidence that conditions would improve within months. Meanwhile, Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, has established communication channels with the Trump administration, with Rubio suggesting her self-interest aligns with advancing US objectives, including opening Venezuela's energy sector to American companies.
Congressional Democrats have criticised Trump's actions as exceeding executive authority, while Republicans largely support them. Legal challenges have emerged, including a wrongful-death case filed by families of two Trinidadian nationals killed in a US boat strike, part of a campaign that has killed at least 126 people since September.
