US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pointedly avoided confirming whether the United States is currently 'running' Venezuela during a tense television interview on Sunday. This followed President Donald Trump's declaration that Rubio and other officials would be charged with controlling the South American nation after the dramatic apprehension of its leader, Nicolás Maduro.
A Deflective Interview on 'This Week'
Pressed repeatedly by ABC's George Stephanopoulos, a veteran of the Clinton White House, Rubio sidestepped direct queries about America's legal authority and its role. "What we are running is the direction that this is going to move moving forward," Rubio stated initially, reframing the premise of the question.
The interview came in the aftermath of Saturday's overnight operation which saw Maduro captured and flown to face charges in New York. At a Mar-a-Lago press conference, President Trump had volunteered Rubio for a leading role, stating, "Well, it's largely going to be run for a period of time by the people standing right behind me. We're gonna be running it." These remarks quickly earned Rubio the moniker 'the Viceroy of Venezuela' from the Washington Post.
The Leverage of Quarantine and Shifting Leadership
When Stephanopoulos asked pointedly, "Are you running Venezuela right now?", Rubio declined to give an explicit answer. Instead, he focused on the economic pressure being applied. "The leverage that we have here is the leverage of the quarantine," he explained, referencing a US-led operation targeting Venezuela's oil exports. "That means their economy will not be able to move forward until the conditions... in the national interest of the United States and the interest of the Venezuelan people are met."
The political landscape in Caracas shifted rapidly after Maduro's capture. Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in, with Trump initially suggesting she was cooperative. However, Rodríguez has since publicly called Maduro the country's 'only president' and condemned US 'barbarity'.
Questioned on whether the US viewed Rodríguez as Venezuela's legitimate leader, Rubio was dismissive. "We don't believe that this regime in place is legitimate via an election," he stated, downplaying her critical comments as potentially tactical posturing in the immediate chaotic aftermath.
Background of Recognition and Ongoing Uncertainty
The United States, under the previous Biden Administration, had recognised opposition candidate Edmundo González as the 'president-elect' in November 2024, despite Maduro's claims of victory in the July ballot. González later fled to Spain under an asylum deal.
Rubio concluded that ultimate legitimacy for Venezuela's government would only come through a transition period and real elections. For now, he emphasised that the US would use its significant economic leverage to 'set the conditions' to end Venezuela's status as a narco-state, leaving the question of direct American administration deliberately unanswered.
