Rubio Warns Venezuela’s Interim Leader of Consequences if U.S. Demands Are Ignored

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to deliver a sharp warning to Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, stating that failure to comply with Washington’s demands could lead her to face the same fate as former president Nicolás Maduro.

Rubio is expected to make the remarks on Wednesday while testifying before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee. According to a draft of his prepared statement obtained by AFP, the secretary of state plans to emphasize that Rodríguez is fully aware of what happened to Maduro after defying the United States.

“Delcy Rodríguez, who previously served as vice president and now holds interim authority, understands very well how Nicolás Maduro’s chapter ended,” Rubio is expected to tell lawmakers. He will add that Washington believes Rodríguez’s personal interests align with advancing U.S. strategic objectives.

Referring to comments made by President Donald Trump, Rubio is also expected to underline that the United States remains ready to escalate pressure if diplomacy fails. “Make no mistake,” he will say, “if all other options are exhausted, we are prepared to use force to ensure full cooperation.”

Rubio, a former senator himself, agreed to testify after weeks of criticism from Democratic lawmakers. They have accused the Trump administration of misleading Congress over the scope of its actions in Venezuela and overstepping its authority through the use of military power.

On January 3, U.S. forces carried out a deadly operation in Caracas, detaining leftist president Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and transferring them to New York. The couple is currently being held in a U.S. detention facility while awaiting trial on drug trafficking charges—allegations they have denied.

Defending the operation, Rubio has described it as the arrest of “two accused narcotics traffickers,” arguing that Maduro was never a legitimate head of state. He claimed the mission was completed without American casualties or military occupation and called it a rare example of “major success at minimal cost.”

Venezuelan officials, however, say more than a hundred people were killed while attempting to protect Maduro during the operation, including both Venezuelan and Cuban nationals.

Following Maduro’s removal, Delcy Rodríguez assumed the role of interim president. The United States continues to refuse recognition of Maduro’s presidency, citing widespread irregularities in Venezuela’s elections. Washington has made it clear that it expects Rodríguez to cooperate with U.S. oil companies and safeguard their interests in the country.