Washington: In a swift clarification amid a global uproar, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has asserted that America has no intention of governing Venezuela, downplaying President Donald Trump’s earlier remark that the US would “run” the nation following the dramatic capture of Nicolás Maduro.
Trump’s statement on Saturday, after a daring US military operation seized Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from Caracas on drug trafficking charges, suggested Washington would oversee Venezuela until a “safe and orderly transition”. This sparked fears of direct intervention, evoking historical parallels.
However, Rubio, who appeared on multiple Sunday talk shows, emphasised a limited role: enforcing an existing oil quarantine on sanctioned tankers to leverage policy changes without day-to-day administration. “This is not the Middle East,” he said, distinguishing it from past conflicts, while noting the action targeted narco-terrorism, not war against Venezuela.
Maduro, indicted in New York on serious charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy, is set for a court appearance. Venezuelan officials decried the move as imperialist aggression, even as some exiles celebrated.
As the Trump administration navigates this bold foreign policy gambit, questions linger over long-term stability and regional fallout.
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