Bloomberg: Rubio to be put in charge of administering Venezuela

Tehran - BORNA - The American news agency Bloomberg reported that while U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim on Saturday regarding "running" Venezuela continues to cause significant confusion and ambiguity concerning U.S. intentions toward the Latin American nation, a U.S. official told the agency that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to be designated by Washington as the official in charge of "administering" Venezuela. Throughout his tenure, Rubio has been a consistent critic of President Nicolás Maduro and the late President Hugo Chávez.

Following the military aggression against Venezuela, the abduction of President Maduro, and his transfer to the United States, Trump claimed that Washington has a plan to run Venezuela. According to Bloomberg, the U.S. President's claim "has stunned the world, while ambiguity and uncertainty have arisen over the meaning of his words and who will be responsible for this South American country."

While reports indicate the United States intends to put Maduro on trial in New York City, Trump claimed that Vice President Delcy Rodríguez "will be Washington’s partner in making Venezuela great again." However, Rodríguez, who legally assumes the administration of Venezuela as the successor during the President's absence, has called the U.S. military intervention "barbaric" and a "kidnapping."

The American media outlet reports that the White House has provided little explanation on how it intends to "administer" an oil-rich nation of approximately 30 million people, fueling confusion about the future. Bloomberg noted that Washington has yet to present a plan for deploying American soldiers or governors in Venezuela. However, Trump specifically stated that the U.S. "will have a presence in Venezuela’s oil sector."

According to the American news agency, Trump's remarks imply an "increased role" for the American oil company Chevron—which continues to operate in Venezuela based on Washington’s sanctions waivers—as well as other major U.S. oil firms.

Regarding Washington's potential intent to give Vice President Delcy Rodríguez and other government officials "one more chance," Bloomberg wrote: "Trump's resistance to deploying U.S. troops to Venezuela and his disregard for opposition leader María Corina Machado—whom he called a 'good woman' but not ready to take power—suggests the U.S. President has apparently decided to give Rodríguez and other Maduro loyalists a second chance instead of a full-scale regime change."

Matthew Kroenig, Vice President and Senior Director of the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, said: "Trump is essentially trying to control the Venezuelan Vice President and her inner circle through a 'carrot and stick' strategy to achieve outcomes favorable to Washington. We will see if this works."

According to Bloomberg, Trump seemingly confirmed this approach in an interview with the New York Post, stating there would be no need for U.S. troops as long as Rodríguez "does what we want."

The American media outlet highlights that this strategy constitutes a major gamble for Trump, who campaigned in 2016 on a platform of ending "endless wars," yet has used the U.S. military after the elections to conduct strikes against Iran, Yemen, Nigeria, and in the Caribbean.

According to the report, while Delcy Rodríguez has demanded Maduro’s return, she has also spoken of "respectful relations," which may signal an offer for de-escalation and cooperation with the U.S. However, Trump has reiterated threats that the U.S. may launch a second wave of strikes against Venezuela if cooperation is not deemed satisfactory.

Following Trump’s Saturday press conference, a U.S. official outlined Washington’s priorities for the coming days, stating that officials will engage diplomatically with the remaining members of the Venezuelan government and oil executives regarding increased production. The official added that the U.S. military remains ready for strikes, the oil embargo will stay in place, and U.S. operations in waters near Venezuela will continue under the pretext of countering suspected drug-smuggling vessels.

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