The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio REUTERS/Nathan Howard/Pool The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, will warn the US Senate this Wednesday (28) that the interim president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, could be deposed just as happened with the dictator Nicolás Maduro, according to an excerpt from the speech he will give to congressmen. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp The head of US diplomacy will appear this Wednesday before a Senate committee to explain the operation in Caracas that led to the capture of Maduro, on January 3, and the Trump administration’s next steps in the South American country. Delcy, who is now leading a gradual process of change, “knows Maduro’s destiny very well”, Rubio will say, according to an excerpt from his statement, which was released by the US State Department. “We believe that your own interest aligns with the advancement of our key objectives (…) Make no mistake: as the president stated, we are prepared to use force to ensure maximum cooperation if other methods fail”, the secretary will tell Congress, according to the excerpt released. The new warning to Miraflores comes days after Delcy said she was “fed up” with US pressure against her government: “No more orders from Washington.” The Venezuelan government and oil have been under the tutelage of the White House since Maduro’s capture, and Trump has already said she will pay a “very high price” if she does not cooperate. See the videos that are trending on g1 US intelligence reports have also raised doubts, in recent days, whether Delcy will in fact cooperate with Donald Trump’s government with subservience in the Executive and oil, and will also cut ties with China, Russia and Iran — historical allies of Chavismo and opponents of the White House. The reports, seen by the Reuters news agency, say it is not yet clear whether the interim president will fully align with the North American strategy. Former Republican Senator Secretary Rubio agreed to testify before his former colleagues after weeks in which Democrats accused the Trump administration of misleading lawmakers and exceeding its authority by using force. US Army troops entered the Venezuelan capital on January 3 and captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The couple was taken to New York to stand trial on drug trafficking charges, crimes they deny. Since then, they have been in a maximum security prison in the North American city. The legal aspect of the operation in Caracas is still unclear: while the Trump administration claims that US law was respected, the UN and the community have denounced violations of international law. In his testimony this Wednesday, Rubio will defend the operation to Congress, stating that the US “arrested two drug traffickers.” In the document, he calls Maduro an “indicted drug trafficker, not a legitimate head of state.” “We are not at war against Venezuela,” Rubio will assure. “All of this was accomplished without the loss of a single American life, nor a continued military occupation.” “History offers few examples in which so much has been achieved at such a low cost”, the secretary will emphasize. Venezuelan authorities say more than 100 people have died, both Venezuelans and Cubans, who tried unsuccessfully to protect Maduro. Trump demanded that Delcy Rodríguez work to benefit North American oil companies. The Republican stated, hours after Maduro’s overthrow, that he preferred to put pressure on the interim president instead of trying to strengthen the Venezuelan opposition and removed his leader, María Corina Machado, whom he called a “very pleasant woman”, but who does not inspire “respect”. Following his congressional hearing, Rubio will meet with Nobel Peace Prize winner Corina Machado, the State Department said. Rubio, an American of Cuban origin and a staunch critic of Latin American leftists, had defended, as a senator, the opposition led by Maria Corina Machado.
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Rubio warns that Delcy Rodríguez could suffer the same fate as Maduro
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