U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States is applying what he described as “maximum pressure” on Venezuela through an oil blockade and sanctions, stressing that Washington is not seeking to govern the country but to force “fundamental changes” that serve U.S. national interests and the Venezuelan people.
اضافة اعلان
In an interview with ABC’s This Week, Rubio said the U.S. has legal authority to enforce the blockade through court orders allowing the seizure of sanctioned vessels entering or leaving Venezuela. He rejected claims that the United States is managing Venezuela, saying Washington is instead “directing the course of events” by using economic and legal pressure.
Rubio reiterated that the U.S. does not recognize the legitimacy of the current Venezuelan regime, noting that more than 60 countries share that position. He said legitimacy can only be achieved through a genuine political transition and free elections.
The secretary accused Venezuela of serving as a hub for drug trafficking and for hostile actors such as Iran and Hezbollah, arguing that the blockade would remain in place until Caracas halts narcotics trafficking, curbs migration flows, and prevents sanctioned groups from operating from its territory.
Rubio also defended the recent arrest of former leader Nicolás Maduro, describing it as a law enforcement operation rather than a military invasion, and said congressional authorization was not required due to operational security concerns and the emergency nature of the action.
On the oil sector, Rubio said Venezuela’s industry has been “looted” for years by a small group of officials and expressed confidence that Western energy companies would show strong interest in investing if major reforms are implemented. He added that sanctions and the blockade would continue until meaningful changes occur.
