Marco Rubio has declined to rule out future US military action in Venezuela, but insisted the Trump administration does not intend to take such steps. Appearing before the Senate foreign relations committee on Wednesday, the US secretary of state faced questions from lawmakers over Washington's intervention in the country.
Pressed by Senator Chris Murphy on whether the administration would use force to compel cooperation on oil sales, Rubio said the president "does reserve the option in self defence to eliminate that threat". He cited a hypothetical Iranian drone factory threatening US forces, but acknowledged that "military action is not good for recovery and transition". In prepared testimony, Rubio had warned that the US remains "prepared to use force to ensure maximum cooperation if other methods fail", though he told senators: "We are not postured to, nor do we intend or expect to have to take any military action in Venezuela at any time."
Murphy questioned whether the administration's approach was "destined for failure", accusing it of "taking their oil at gunpoint". Rubio refused to commit to a timeline for democratic transition, but said conditions would improve within months. He also acknowledged granting no-bid licences to two US oil trading companies to move Venezuelan oil quickly, describing this as a "short-term fix" while a longer-term plan involves direct sales to refineries.
Rubio defended the removal of Nicolás Maduro, who faces drug-trafficking charges in the US, and the continuing strikes on boats suspected of smuggling drugs. "There is no war against Venezuela, and we did not occupy a country," he said in prepared remarks. "There are no US troops on the ground. This was an operation to aid law enforcement." Maduro has pleaded not guilty and declared himself "the president of my country".
Congressional Democrats have condemned the moves as exceeding executive authority, while most Republicans support them. Legal pushback has begun: the families of two Trinidadian nationals killed in a US boat strike have filed what is thought to be the first wrongful-death case arising from the campaign. Meanwhile, US officials are working to normalise ties with acting president Delcy Rodríguez, who has said her government and the Trump administration have established "respectful and courteous channels of communication".
