US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has signaled a shift in Washington's approach to Venezuela, suggesting that the US will use its leverage over oil to force change in the country. With the removal of President Nicolas Maduro and his flight to New York for trial, Rubio sees an opportunity to reshape Latin America in the US's favor.
Rubio has long been vocal about his skepticism towards negotiating with Maduro, whom he considers an illegitimate president. Instead, he demands that Venezuela sever ties with Iran, Hezbollah, and Cuba, stop drug trafficking, and ensure its oil industry doesn't benefit US adversaries. The US will seize any sanctioned oil shipments, giving the country a significant amount of leverage to press for change.
Rubio's approach is rooted in his Cuban exile upbringing and anti-communist fervor, which has driven his policies on Latin America. He has previously pressed governments to confront drug cartels, curb China's influence, and stop undocumented migration. Now, he sees an opportunity to use the oil "quarantine" to bring about change in Venezuela.
The US blockade on sanctioned oil shipments remains in place until changes are made that benefit both the US national interest and the Venezuelan people. Trump has suggested that US oil companies will spend billions of dollars to rebuild Venezuela's oil industry, with Rubio stating that a global shortage of heavy crude could spur this transition.
However, there is still no clear timeline for when Venezuela might hold elections as part of a transition to democracy. Rubio sidestepped this question, saying the US will assess progress based on actions taken rather than public statements made.
Rubio's strategy has been building towards this moment since his early days as a congressman, where he pressed Latin American governments to confront drug cartels and curb China's influence. Now, with Trump's backing, Rubio appears set to become the top Latin America policymaker, a decade after fighting Trump for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.
The US has already interdicted at least three large oil tankers in the Atlantic and Caribbean waters around Venezuela and surrounding countries in December. With its naval deployment and economic pressure, the US aims to bring about change in Venezuela that benefits both the country and the US.
Rubio has long been vocal about his skepticism towards negotiating with Maduro, whom he considers an illegitimate president. Instead, he demands that Venezuela sever ties with Iran, Hezbollah, and Cuba, stop drug trafficking, and ensure its oil industry doesn't benefit US adversaries. The US will seize any sanctioned oil shipments, giving the country a significant amount of leverage to press for change.
Rubio's approach is rooted in his Cuban exile upbringing and anti-communist fervor, which has driven his policies on Latin America. He has previously pressed governments to confront drug cartels, curb China's influence, and stop undocumented migration. Now, he sees an opportunity to use the oil "quarantine" to bring about change in Venezuela.
The US blockade on sanctioned oil shipments remains in place until changes are made that benefit both the US national interest and the Venezuelan people. Trump has suggested that US oil companies will spend billions of dollars to rebuild Venezuela's oil industry, with Rubio stating that a global shortage of heavy crude could spur this transition.
However, there is still no clear timeline for when Venezuela might hold elections as part of a transition to democracy. Rubio sidestepped this question, saying the US will assess progress based on actions taken rather than public statements made.
Rubio's strategy has been building towards this moment since his early days as a congressman, where he pressed Latin American governments to confront drug cartels and curb China's influence. Now, with Trump's backing, Rubio appears set to become the top Latin America policymaker, a decade after fighting Trump for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.
The US has already interdicted at least three large oil tankers in the Atlantic and Caribbean waters around Venezuela and surrounding countries in December. With its naval deployment and economic pressure, the US aims to bring about change in Venezuela that benefits both the country and the US.
diagram of a globe with a big X marked on it (representing the US's influence)
we're talking about forcing change in venezuela using its oil, which is basically a hostage situation 
. what's next? seizing assets from cuba and iran too? 
hypocrisy at its finest
. if the us is going to pressure venezuela into a transition, shouldn't they be respecting their democratic process too? 
and who gets to decide what happens next 
.
.
. Can't we just talk to them, you know, like civilized countries do? 
I'm not sure if Rubio's approach is gonna work out 
. Trump backing him up is interesting tho... maybe that means Rubio will actually listen to some of those experts who say this approach won't work 