Rubio touts progress with Venezuela’s new leaders in US Senate hearing

WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the US Senate on Jan 28 that Venezuela’s new leaders were moving towards closer ties with the United States, as he publicly faced lawmakers’ questions for the first time since the US raid to seize President Nicolas Maduro this month.

President Donald Trump’s administration is working with Ms Delcy Rodriguez, a Maduro ally who was sworn in as interim president after his arrest, but has warned of further military action if her government does not comply with US demands.

Mr Rubio, a former Florida senator and member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told a packed Senate hearing room that communications with Venezuela’s leaders were “very respectful and productive” and insisted that Venezuela, a country with a history of good relations with the US, was moving towards restoring ties. He said he believed the US would be able to open a diplomatic presence in the country quickly.

‘Serious conversations’

“For the first time in 20 years, we are having serious conversations about eroding and eliminating the Iranian presence, the Chinese influence, the Russian presence as well. In fact, I will tell you that there are many elements there in Venezuela that welcome a return to establishing relations with the United States on multiple fronts,” he said.

Mr Rubio was due to meet at the State Department later on Jan 28 with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, amid questions of whether Mr Trump would install her as Venezuela’s leader to replace Mr Maduro.

Two weeks ago, Mr Trump’s fellow Republicans narrowly blocked a resolution that would have barred Mr Trump from further military action in Venezuela without Congress’ authorisation. Vice-President J.D. Vance was forced to break a tie.

Mr Rubio told the committee Mr Maduro had to be

removed from power

because Venezuela had become a base of operations for US adversaries, including China, Russia and Iran, and his alleged cooperation with drug traffickers was affecting the region and the US.

“It was an untenable situation and it had to be addressed,” Mr Rubio said.

The US had set up a mechanism to sell Venezuelan oil in the short term but aimed to facilitate a transition to “a friendly, stable, prosperous Venezuela” that ultimately chooses its leaders through free and fair elections, Mr Rubio said. 

‘Painful history’

Several members of Congress, some Republicans as well as Democrats, have expressed frustration with what they say is a lack of communication from Trump officials about major operations, including the capture of Mr Maduro and the elimination of many foreign aid programmes supported by Congress.

Committee chairman Jim Risch, a Republican senator from Idaho, praised Mr Rubio for explaining to him the administration’s plans for Venezuela, despite “confusion over how it will be done.”

The war powers resolution appeared to be on track to pass the Senate after five Republicans joined Democrats in voting to advance it, in rare Republican opposition to Mr Trump.

But Mr Trump railed at the five, saying they should never again be elected to public office. He and Mr Rubio made repeated calls encouraging senators to change their votes by insisting there were no US troops in Venezuela, and with promises including Mr Rubio’s agreement to come before the Senate committee. Two of them, Mr Josh Hawley of Missouri and Mr Todd Young of Indiana, flipped their positions.

The close vote reflected concern in Congress about Mr Trump’s foreign policy and growing support for the argument that Congress should take back the power to send US troops to war from the president, as spelled out in the Constitution.

Members of Congress, including some of Mr Trump’s fellow Republicans, said Mr Rubio had insisted the administration did not plan a leadership change in Venezuela just days before US troops removed Mr Maduro, and that oil company executives were told about the operation before lawmakers.

Some Democrats raised concerns that the US could be pulled into another long war without consulting Congress.

“You and I both know a long and painful history of wars that began and seemed to be resolved and then opened up into excruciating, expensive years-long conflict,” Senator Chris Coons of Delaware said. 

Mr Trump this month said the US will run Venezuela for years, told Iranians protesting against their government that “help is on the way,” and threatened military action to take Greenland, a territory of NATO ally Denmark. REUTERS