Rubio details how Washington plans to steer policy in Venezuela after Maduro’s arrest

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday sketched the contours of Washington’s strategy for Venezuela following the surprise capture of President Nicolas Maduro, distancing the administration from President Donald Trump’s earlier assertion that the United States will “run” the South American nation.

Speaking during separate appearances on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” and NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Rubio said the administration intends to apply economic and military pressure rather than assume direct governance. His remarks followed a Saturday news conference at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, where the president announced that U.S. special forces had apprehended Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and transferred them to New York to face drug-trafficking charges.

“We have a quarantine on their oil,” Rubio told ABC. “Their economy will not advance until conditions that align with the national interests of the United States and the Venezuelan people are met.” He added that U.S. naval and air assets deployed in the Caribbean and the recent seizure of Venezuela-linked oil tankers give Washington the leverage it needs to guide future developments in Caracas.

Pressed on NBC about who is now “running” Venezuela, Rubio replied, “It’s not running the country; it’s running policy.” He said the United States wants Venezuela “to move in a certain direction” but stopped short of describing a formal occupation or a U.S. administration on Venezuelan soil.

Trump’s characterization on Saturday—that the United States would manage Venezuela “until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition”—triggered bipartisan criticism. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer cautioned on ABC that large-scale nation-building efforts have historically come at significant human and financial cost to Americans.

In Caracas, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as interim president within hours of Maduro’s removal. Neither Rodríguez nor other senior Venezuelan officials have commented publicly on Washington’s latest statements, and the chain of command inside the country’s military remains unclear.

Rubio insisted that while a softer tone is emerging, additional military options remain available. “The president retains all his optionality,” he said, signaling that further action could be taken if U.S. objectives stall.

Energy considerations featured prominently in the secretary’s media appearances. Venezuela sits atop the world’s largest proven crude reserves, a fact Rubio acknowledged while delineating the administration’s goals. He emphasized that the priority is not to seize oil fields but to ensure that “no sanctioned oil can come in or out until they change the governance of that entire industry.” According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Venezuela’s reserves exceed 300 billion barrels, though production has plummeted in recent years because of under-investment and sanctions.

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On Saturday Trump said major U.S. oil companies would be invited to invest “billions of dollars” to repair Venezuela’s “badly broken” energy infrastructure. Chevron is currently the only American firm with an operational footprint in the country. Rubio told ABC he has not spoken with individual companies but anticipates “dramatic interest from Western companies.” He noted that Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Energy Secretary Chris Wright will survey conditions and consult potential investors.

The oil blockade, instituted months before Maduro’s capture, has already halted most Venezuelan exports. U.S. forces have intercepted multiple tankers allegedly carrying sanctioned crude and relocated naval vessels and combat aircraft to enforce what officials call a “quarantine zone.” Rubio indicated that the blockade will stay in place until Caracas commits to reforms, though he did not specify benchmarks or a timeline.

While the administration weighs its next steps, legal proceedings against Maduro and Flores are set to begin in a federal court in New York. U.S. prosecutors accuse the former president of participating in a conspiracy to ship cocaine to North America, charges Maduro has long denied.

How Washington balances judicial action, economic pressure and potential military force will likely shape the coming months. For now, Rubio’s comments suggest a focus on using existing leverage rather than establishing a provisional U.S. government in Caracas, even as the White House reserves the option to escalate if its objectives are not met.

Crédito da imagem: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters