Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated this Sunday that the U.S. does not need Venezuela's oil but will not allow the Venezuelan oil industry to be controlled by adversaries of the U.S.
“We have plenty of oil in the United States. What we will not allow is for the oil industry in Venezuela to be controlled by adversaries of the United States,” he stated in remarks to the NBC network.
Rubio referred to Iran, China, and Russia, nations that "don't even belong to this continent."
"They're not going to come from outside our hemisphere, destabilize our region in our own backyard, and have us pay the price. Not with President Trump! This is profoundly destabilizing. It will not continue to happen!" he added.
Rubio also referred to the opposition leader María Corina Machado, of whom he said, “she is fantastic” but is outside of Venezuela.
"María Corina Machado is fantastic, and she is someone I have known for a long time, just like the whole movement, but we are dealing with the immediate reality."
"The immediate reality is that, unfortunately and sadly, the vast majority of the opposition is no longer present in Venezuela. We have short-term issues that need to be addressed immediately," he added, referring to a possible opposition-led transition.
Rubio also made it clear that Washington will continue to target vessels linked to drug trafficking and confiscate sanctioned ships transporting oil, a policy that has already resulted in dozens of deaths at sea and keeps several countries in the region on edge.
In the interview with Meet the Press, Rubio denied that there is a war against Venezuela, but unequivocally defended the military operations ordered by President Donald Trump. He stated that the focus is on “upholding the law,” both in the fight against drug trafficking and in the enforcement of oil sanctions.
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