A day after President Donald Trump claimed that the United States would “run” Venezuela following the ouster of its leader Nicolas Maduro, Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday appeared to scale back that assertion, saying Washington would not take on a day-to-day governing role in the country.
Speaking on multiple television talk shows, Rubio said the US would limit its involvement to enforcing an existing “oil quarantine” on Venezuela, signalling a clear shift from Trump’s sweeping remarks made a day earlier.
Rubio Seeks To Calm Fears
Rubio’s comments appeared aimed at easing concerns over whether the assertive US action to achieve regime change could lead to a prolonged foreign intervention or another failed nation-building effort. His statements stood in contrast to Trump’s broad and largely undefined claim that Washington would at least temporarily oversee the oil-rich nation.
US Denies Governing Venezuela
Trump’s remarks had sparked questions about whether the US intended to establish some form of administrative control over Caracas, raising alarms both domestically and internationally. By clarifying that the US would not govern Venezuela beyond enforcing sanctions related to its energy sector, Rubio sought to reassure critics wary of deeper American entanglement following the dramatic capture of Maduro.