Secretary of State Marco Rubio reinforced the administration’s commitment to Venezuelan democracy by meeting with prominent opposition leader Maria Corina Machado following intense Senate testimony defending President Trump’s military operation against Nicolas Maduro. The Wednesday hearing and subsequent meeting demonstrated the administration’s dual approach of working with interim authorities while maintaining connections to democratic opposition movements.
During the Foreign Relations Committee session, Rubio faced challenging questions about collaborating with Delcy Rodriguez and other former Maduro regime members now controlling Venezuela’s government. Senator Cory Booker pressed the Secretary on apparent contradictions between stated democratic objectives and practical cooperation with authoritarian holdovers. Rubio maintained that engaging existing governmental structures represents pragmatic necessity while pursuing fundamental political reforms over time.
The Secretary characterized Venezuela’s current trajectory as positive, emphasizing improvements since Maduro’s removal and projecting continued progress. He described interim authorities as cooperative and willing to accept American demands, including opening the energy sector to United States companies with preferential access arrangements. Additional requirements include using oil revenue to purchase American goods and immediately terminating subsidized petroleum exports to Cuba.
Republican senators generally supported the operation, with Chairman Risch revealing that approximately 200 troops participated in a firefight lasting under 27 minutes in the Venezuelan capital. He suggested that future democratic elections might require American and international oversight to ensure legitimacy. These operational details provided the first official public account of the controversial raid’s execution and scope.
Democrats expressed profound skepticism about the intervention’s wisdom and effectiveness. They questioned whether replacing one authoritarian leader with his former associates constitutes meaningful change, particularly given Venezuela’s continuing economic struggles. Senator Shaheen challenged the allocation of presidential attention and resources to foreign conflicts while American citizens face pressing domestic economic challenges, characterizing the approach as spending more and risking more while achieving less.