Rubio explains how U.S. might ‘run’ Venezuela after Maduros’ ouster
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks as U.S. President Donald Trump stands behind him during a news conference following the U.S. attack on Venezuela, where President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were captured at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., January 3, 2026.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday appeared to backtrack on President Donald Trump’s claim that the United States would “rule” Venezuela after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday and took him to the United States.
Asked for details on how the United States plans to govern Venezuela, Rubio said the United States will use the power gained from the oil blockade of the country and regional military build-up to achieve its policy goals. He did not say that the US would rule Venezuela directly.
The United States has seized tankers bound for the country and moved military ships and warplanes to the Caribbean in recent months.
“What’s going to happen here is we’re going to quarantine their oil, which means their economy can’t move forward until the conditions are met that the national interest of the United States and the interests of the Venezuelan people are met, and that’s what we plan to do,” Rubio said on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos.” he said.
“That leverage continues, that leverage continues, and we expect that to lead to results here,” Rubio said.
Trump said on Saturday that “the United States will govern the country until we can have a safe, appropriate and reasonable transition.”
The comments sparked a storm of criticism from Trump’s opponents and some allies, who warned against a nation-building exercise in Venezuela.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-Y., said on ABC Sunday: “We have learned over the years that America has attempted regime change and nation-building in this way, that the American people have paid the price in both blood and dollars.”
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as president following Maduro’s capture. Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores reached in New York on Saturday night to face drug trafficking-related charges.
Rubio’s comments suggest the United States will take a softer approach to Venezuela than Trump’s initial suggestions of governing the country with a “group.” But Rubio said Trump could still take more military action to achieve U.S. goals.
Asked about further military action in Venezuela on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Rubio said Trump “retained all optionality.”
Rubio also predicted U.S. targets regarding Venezuela’s oil reserves. Trump said Saturday that the U.S. would “get our very large U.S. oil companies, the largest anywhere in the world, to come in, spend billions of dollars, repair the infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, that is badly deteriorated.”
Venezuela has the largest proven oil reserves in the world.
“Ultimately, this isn’t about keeping the oil fields safe; it’s about making sure no sanctioned oil comes in or out until there’s a change in the management of the entire industry,” Rubio told ABC. “The way to solve this for the benefit of the Venezuelan people is to have private companies that are not from Iran or elsewhere come in and invest in equipment.”
Rubio said he hasn’t talked to specific U.S. oil companies about the possibility of starting a business in Venezuela. Currently only Strip operates in the country.
“We’re pretty confident that Western companies will show serious interest,” Rubio said.
Rubio said Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Energy Secretary Chris Wright “will do an assessment and talk to some of these companies.”
Description: The US military captured Nicolas Maduro and removed him from Venezuela. This was not clear from a reference in an earlier version of this article.
