Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Venezuela's new leaders were moving toward closer ties with Washington, leaving no immediate need for further US military action, as he publicly faced lawmakers' questions on Wednesday for the first time since illegitimate president Nicolas Maduro's capture this month.
President Donald Trump has ordered his administration to work with Delcy Rodriguez, a Maduro ally who was sworn in as interim president after his arrest, but previously warned of further military action if her government did not comply with US demands.
Rubio, a former Florida senator and member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told a packed Senate hearing room that while Trump would not rule out any options, "we are not postured to, nor do we intend or expect to, have to take any military action in Venezuela," signaling the administration's satisfaction with Rodriguez.
"The only military presence you will see in Venezuela is our Marine guards at an embassy. That is our goal. That is our expectation," Rubio said.
Communications with Venezuela's leaders were, "very respectful and productive," Rubio said, adding that he expected the US would soon be able to reopen a diplomatic presence in the country. The US embassy in Caracas has been shuttered since 2019, but the US State Department has in recent weeks sent officials to begin preparations for its reopening.
"For the first time in 20 years, we are having serious conversations about eroding and eliminating the Iranian presence, the Chinese influence, the Russian presence as well. In fact, I will tell you that there are many elements there in Venezuela that welcome a return to establishing relations with the United States on multiple fronts," he said.
Reuters reported on Tuesday that US intelligence reports have questioned whether Rodriguez is fully on board with the US strategy for her country and if she intends to formally cut ties with US adversaries.
Rubio met at the State Department later on Wednesday with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, amid questions about whether Trump would ever install her as Venezuela's leader to replace Maduro.
Afterward, Machado told reporters she wanted to assure Venezuelans that change was coming. "I know what Venezuela is living through; I feel it in every fiber of my being. But I tell you this: we are going to achieve it. It is happening," she said.
In his testimony, Rubio said Maduro had to be removed from power because Venezuela had become a base of operations for US adversaries, including China, Russia and Iran, and his alleged cooperation with drug traffickers was affecting the Western Hemisphere.
"It was an untenable situation and it had to be addressed," Rubio said.
The US has set up a mechanism to sell Venezuelan oil in the short term but aimed to facilitate a transition to, "a friendly, stable, prosperous Venezuela," that ultimately chooses its leaders through free and fair elections, Rubio said.
Venezuela sits on the world’s largest crude oil reserves, and the Trump administration has said it intends to control the OPEC member's oil industry and revenue indefinitely.
A group of 12 Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday warned about the financial risks of investing in Venezuela, pointing out that the terms offered by the US and Venezuelan governments could be reversed.
Several members of Congress, some Republicans as well as Democrats, have complained about what they say is a lack of communication from Trump aides about major operations, including the capture of Maduro and the elimination of many foreign aid programs supported by Congress.
Two weeks ago, Trump's fellow Republicans blocked a resolution that would have barred Trump from further military action in Venezuela without Congress' authorization.
The war powers resolution appeared to be on track to pass the Senate after five Republicans joined Democrats in voting to advance it, in rare Republican opposition to Trump.
But Trump railed at the five, saying they should never again be elected to public office. He and Rubio encouraged senators to change their votes by insisting there were no US troops in Venezuela, and with promises including Rubio's agreement to testify publicly. Two of them, Josh Hawley of Missouri and Todd Young of Indiana, flipped their positions, citing the administration's assurances.
The close vote reflected concern in Congress about Trump's foreign policy and growing support for the argument that Congress should take back the power to send US troops to war from the president, as spelled out in the Constitution.
Some Democrats during the hearing warned that the US could be pulled into another long overseas entanglement in Venezuela, questioned the legality of US strikes on boats carrying drugs and also questioned the wisdom of working closely with Rodriguez, a lifelong socialist and previously an opponent of US involvement in her country.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle, Simon Lewis and Humeyra Pamuk; additional reporting by Katharine Jackson, Brendan O'Boyle, Valerie Volcovici; Editing by Don Durfee, Chris Reese, Rod Nickel)