Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to say that the Trump administration is ready to "use force" to ensure that Venezuela's interim regime cooperates with its intent to oversee the country's oil industry.
He will make the remarks before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, noting that while it is the administration's "hope that this will not prove necessary," it will "never shy away from our duty to the American people and our mission in this Hemisphere."
The hearing takes place as another report has raised doubts about whether Venezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, will cooperate with the Trump administration by cutting ties with adversaries such as Iran, China and Russia.
Reuters noted that demands include expelling diplomats of said countries from Venezuela, but the regime has not taken steps to do so. Intelligence reports claimed it is not clear if she is fully on board.
The report comes after Rodriguez called on the U.S. to stop interfering in its internal affairs. "Enough with the orders," she said during a public appearance during the weekend.
The most recent developments stand in contrast with different reports noting that Rodriguez and other top regime officials agreed to cooperate with the Trump administration to remain in power.
The Guardian reported last week that Rodriguez and her brother Jorge secretly pledged to work with the U.S. if Nicolas Maduro was removed.
They added that his removal would be a welcome outcome. "She said, 'I'll work with whatever is the aftermath,'" a source detailed.
Trump quickly announced that Delcy Rodriguez would be Venezuela's interim president after the operation. He has since said the administrations are "getting along very well" and that she is "giving us everything that we feel is necessary."
Trump told The New York Post earlier in January that his administration expects to maintain direct oversight of the government in Caracas for an extended period, noting that it will last "much longer than a year." Trump also declined to set a specific timeline for the involvement, saying his government plans to extract and sell Venezuelan oil while providing funds back to the country.
Originally published on Latin Times
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