Rubio: We don't need Venezuelan oil, we have enough in the US

(Patria) - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was a guest on NBC's Meet the Press, where he spoke about the US operation to arrest Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

When asked if America was now at war with Venezuela, he replied:

"It's not about war. We are at war against drug trafficking organizations, but it is not a war against Venezuela. We are enforcing US laws related to oil sanctions. We have sanctioned certain entities. We go to court, get a warrant, and seize oil ships. This will continue.

He added that there are currently no US forces on the ground in Venezuela. According to him, US soldiers were on Venezuelan soil "for about two hours".

He did not directly answer the question of who is currently leading Venezuela.

"What is crucial is that we expect changes in Venezuela, changes of all kinds, short-term and long-term. We want Venezuela to move in a certain direction because we believe it is good for the people of Venezuela, and also in our national interest," Rubio emphasized.

He stated that these changes include ending drug trafficking and stopping the presence of Iran and Hezbollah in the country. He also added that Venezuela's oil industry should no longer be used to enrich "American adversaries around the world," but for the benefit of Venezuela and the US.

When asked why the US is not cooperating with opposition leader Maria Corina Machado in the transition of power process, Rubio said that the administration is currently dealing with "the immediate reality".

"Unfortunately, the vast majority of the opposition is no longer present within Venezuela. We have short-term problems that must be addressed immediately. We all want a bright future for Venezuela, but now we are talking about what will happen in the next two to three weeks and two to three months," Rubio said.

He did not want to specify when elections would be held in Venezuela.

"I think it's too early to talk about that now. There is still a lot of work to be done. Let's be realistic: we are currently focused on all the problems we had while Maduro was in power," he explained.

According to the US Constitution, only Congress has the authority to declare war. Rubio had previously confirmed that Congress was not informed in advance about yesterday's operation, but now he emphasized that it was not necessary.

"The arrest of Nicolas Maduro was not an action that required Congressional approval because it was not an invasion," Rubio asserted.

He described the operation as "law enforcement to arrest an indicted member of a drug cartel," noting that it was not a long-term military operation.

"It was a very sensitive operation and required all circumstances to align at the right time and place. There could be no risk of information leaks," Rubio said.

He specifically emphasized that the US does not want to allow American global rivals to gain access to Venezuelan resources.

"We don't need Venezuelan oil, we have enough in the United States. What we will not allow is for Venezuela's oil industry to be controlled by US adversaries. Why does China need their oil? Why Russia? Why Iran.

We will not allow the Western Hemisphere to become a base of operations for adversaries, competitors, and rivals of the United States. We want oil revenues to benefit the people of Venezuela," Rubio concluded.