Rubio testifies before US Senate on abduction of Venezuela's Maduro

"[Having Maduro in power] was an enormous strategic risk for the United States, not halfway around the world, not in another continent, but in in the hemisphere in which we all live, and it was having dramatic impacts on us, but also on Colombia and on the Caribbean Basin and all sorts of other places, he told lawmakers. It was an untenable situation, and it had to be addressed, and now the question becomes what happens moving forward, he said."

"He listed Venezuela's alleged ties to Iran, Russia and Cuba. Rubio said the US had three objectives in Venezuela, the culmination being a phase of transition where we are left with a friendly, stable, prosperous Venezuela and democratic. In that, Rubio defended the decision of US President Donald Trump to continue working with the government surrounding Maduro, including interim President Delcy Rodriguez, while not initially supporting an opposition takeover."

"Rubio said the first objective was avoiding civil war in Venezuela and aiming to establish direct, honest, respectful, but very direct and honest conversations with the people who today control the elements of that nation. He said the second phase is a period of recovery and that is the phase in which you want to see a normalised oil industry."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the January 3 operation to abduct Nicolas Maduro, noting the operation has been widely condemned as a violation of international law. Rubio portrayed Venezuela as a strategic base for adversaries, citing alleged ties to Iran, Russia and Cuba, and described Maduro's hold on power as an enormous regional risk affecting the United States, Colombia and the Caribbean Basin. Rubio outlined three US objectives: avoid civil war by engaging directly with those controlling the country, pursue a recovery phase focused on normalizing the oil industry, and achieve a transition to a friendly, stable, prosperous and democratic Venezuela. He defended continued engagement with the government surrounding Maduro, including interim President Delcy Rodriguez, while not initially supporting an opposition takeover.

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