Trump wingman tells Venezuelan ally ‘you’re in a lot of trouble’ | US | News
Secretary of State Marco Rubio refused to rule out the possibility that the Cuban communist regime could become the next focus of the Trump administration, just a day after the arrest of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro.
Rubio’s warning on Sunday came just hours after Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, landed in New York City, where they will face charges for their alleged involvement in a narco-terrorism conspiracy.
An indictment issued by the Justice Department accused Maduro of leading “a corrupt, illegitimate government that has used government power for decades to protect and promote illegal activities, including drug trafficking.” He also claims that drug trafficking operations “enrich and entrench Venezuela’s political and military elite.”
Participating in the “Meet the Press” program, Rubio issued a stern warning to Cuban officials and said that “they are in big trouble.” Journalist Kristen Welker asks, “Is the Cuban government the Trump administration’s next target?” he asked.
Rubio responded, “Yes, the Cuban government is a big problem. Yes.”
“Is that a yes?” Welker pressed.
“I think they are in big trouble, yes,” Rubio said.
Cuba ‘penetrated’ Venezuela
In another interview, Rubio, whose parents fled Cuba, claimed that Venezuela’s intelligence service was “full of Cubans” and that “this poor island has taken over Venezuela.”
“One of the biggest problems for Venezuelans in some cases is that they have to declare independence from Cuba,” Rubio said from President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. he said. “They basically tried to colonize it for security reasons. So yeah look, if I lived in Havana and was in government, I’d be at least a little worried.”
At a news briefing on Saturday, President Trump himself declared that the United States is trying to be surrounded by “good neighbors.”
“It’s very similar in the sense that we want to help people in Cuba, but we also want to help people who were forcibly removed from Cuba and are living in this country,” the president said.
Trump also branded the tiny island a “failed nation” that is “not doing very well right now.”
Cuba condemns Trump’s attack
The Cuban government has not yet responded to Rubio’s remarks.
However, Cuban officials, a staunch ally of the Maduro regime, have strongly condemned the recent explosions and American operations in Caracas.
Officials said, “All nations in the region must be on alert as the threat exists everywhere. Our determination to fight in Cuba is firm and unshakable. The decision is one and only: Homeland or Death.”
‘There is only one president’
Following these dramatic developments, Venezuela’s future remains uncertain. According to Venezuelan law, the country’s vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, must take over after Maduro’s arrest.
However, he insisted at a hearing on Saturday that he would not assume the presidency before Venezuela’s supreme court ruled that he would serve as interim leader. He also called on the Trump administration to release Maduro and Flores and repatriate them.
“There is only one president in Venezuela and his name is Nicolas Maduro Moros,” said Rodriguez.
At the same time, President Trump announced that his administration would “manage” Venezuela through the transition, saying: “We will rebuild the oil infrastructure that will cost billions of dollars, paid for directly by the oil companies. And we will make sure the oil flows as it should.”
