The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, assured this Friday that President Donald Trump "is not a player" and that "when he says something, he means it," while commenting on the successful military operation that resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela.
"The 47th president of the United States is not a player. When he says he is going to do something, when he says he will tackle an issue, he means it... This was a direct threat to national interest," Rubio stated during a press conference in front of American media.
The official underscored that Trump had repeatedly warned that he would take action against Maduro if he continued his hostile actions towards the United States and its allies.
"This president is a man of action. Some still haven't understood it, but now I believe the world does," he added.
Rubio insisted that the Trump administration acted within its policy of defending national interests and in response to what he described as "criminal and defiant behaviors" of the Venezuelan regime.
"It was not a provocation; it was a necessary response," he said.
The Secretary of State recalled that Maduro had been formally charged in 2020 with narcoterrorism and corruption, and that since the beginning of the year there had been a reward of 50 million dollars for information leading to his capture.
"I guess today we saved 50 million dollars," he joked.
Rubio reiterated that neither the Trump administration, nor Biden's prior to that, nor the European Union, nor the majority of democratic countries recognize Maduro as the legitimate president of Venezuela.
"He is a fugitive from U.S. justice, not a head of state," he concluded.
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