Rubio said the US is not formally running Venezuela and will judge the country by its actions. “We are going to make an assessment on the basis of what they do, not what they say publicly in the interim, not what they’ve done in the past, but what they do moving forward,” he said. He added that Maduro “could have left Venezuela as recently as a week and a half ago” and described the country as being at a “crossroads for many of our adversaries.”

US commandos captured Maduro on Saturday from a compound in Caracas in a covert operation involving jets, helicopters, warships, and ground troops. He is now in a New York detention cell awaiting a court appearance Monday on alleged federal narcotrafficking and weapons charges.

Rubio’s remarks followed President Donald Trump’s statements on Saturday that the United States would “run” Venezuela “until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” and that US oil companies would rebuild the country’s oil infrastructure.

The Secretary of State said the oil quarantine, US naval presence in the Caribbean, and targeting of sanctioned tankers and “drug boats” will continue to exert leverage. He emphasized that Washington’s priorities are curbing drug trafficking and gang activity while supporting changes that could lead to “a better Venezuela.”

He stressed that the United States is not seeking to install opposition figures or engage in nation-building. Rubio expressed admiration for opposition leader María Corina Machado but gave no indication that the US would back her or her party’s 2024 election candidate. “This is not the Middle East. And our mission here is very different,” he said, contrasting the operation with past US interventions in Libya, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

*This story was edited by Ahram Online.

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