WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� suggested Sunday that the United States would not govern Venezuela day-to-day other than enforcing an existing , even as President Donald Trump again insisted that the U.S. would be in control following its .
Rubio鈥檚 statements seemed designed that the assertive action to achieve regime change in Venezuela might lead the U.S. into another prolonged foreign intervention or failed attempt at nation-building.
They stood in contrast to Trump鈥檚 broad but vague claims that the U.S. would at least temporarily 鈥渞un鈥� the oil-rich nation, comments that suggested some sort of governing structure under which Caracas would be controlled by Washington.
Still, Trump reiterated Sunday night that 鈥渨e鈥檙e in charge,鈥� while invited the Republican president 鈥渢o collaborate鈥� in a newly conciliatory stance.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to run it, fix it,鈥� he said of Venezuela while aboard Air Force One en route to Washington from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
Hours earlier, Rubio offered a more nuanced take, saying the U.S. would that was already in place on sanctioned tankers before Maduro was removed from power early Saturday and use that leverage to press policy changes in Venezuela.
鈥淎nd so that鈥檚 the sort of control the president is pointing to when he says that,” Rubio said on CBS鈥� 鈥淔ace the Nation.鈥� “We continue with that quarantine, and we expect to see that there will be changes, not just in the way the oil industry is run for the benefit of the people, but also so that they stop the drug trafficking.鈥�
Rodr铆guez changes her tone
Venezuela’s interim president said she seeks 鈥渞espectful relations鈥� with the U.S., in a shift from a previously defiant tone.
鈥淲e invite the US government to collaborate with us on an agenda of cooperation oriented towards shared development within the framework of international law to strengthen lasting community coexistence,鈥� Rodr铆guez wrote in an online post.
After the U.S. operation, she and urged the U.S. to release him, declaring the actions an 鈥渁trocity鈥� and saying 鈥渉istory and justice will make the extremists who promoted this armed aggression pay.鈥�
Her conciliatory message came after Trump threatened that she could 鈥減ay a very big price鈥� if she didn鈥檛 fall in line with U.S. demands.
Trump told reporters Sunday night that Rodr铆guez is 鈥渃ooperating鈥� but reiterated the threat from an earlier interview with The Atlantic.
He told reporters on Air Force One that he wanted her to provide 鈥渢otal access鈥� to aspects of the country large and small 鈥� from major oil operations to basic infrastructure.
鈥淲e need access to the oil and to other things in their country that allow us to rebuild their country,鈥� Trump said.
Venezuela鈥檚 Supreme Court ruled Rodr铆guez would be earlier Sunday.
Cuba, meanwhile, announced that in the U.S. operation in Venezuela, which Trump acknowledged: 鈥淵ou know, were killed yesterday.鈥�
鈥淭here was a lot of death on the other side,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淣o death on our side.鈥�
Trump still says US will 鈥榬un鈥� Venezuela
Trump’s vowing that the U.S. will run Venezuela has sparked concerns among some Democrats and drawn unease from parts of his own Republican coalition, including an 鈥淎merica First鈥� base that is opposed to foreign interventions, and from observers who recalled past nation-building efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Rubio dismissed such criticism, saying Trump鈥檚 intent had been misunderstood.
鈥淭he whole foreign policy apparatus thinks everything is Libya, everything is Iraq, everything is Afghanistan,鈥� Rubio said. “This is not the Middle East. And our mission here is very different. This is the Western Hemisphere.鈥�
He also suggested the U.S. would give Maduro鈥檚 subordinates now in charge time to govern, saying, 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to judge everything by what they do.鈥�
Though he did not rule out boots on the ground in Venezuela, Rubio said the U.S., which has in the region, was already capable of stopping alleged drug boats and sanctioned oil tankers.
The blockade on sanctioned oil tankers 鈥� 鈥� 鈥渞emains in place, and that鈥檚 a tremendous amount of leverage that will continue to be in place until we see changes that not just further the national interest of the United States, which is number one, but also that lead to a better future for the people of Venezuela,鈥� he added.
Even before the operation that nabbed Maduro, experts questioned the legality of aspects of the Trump administration鈥檚 pressure campaign on his government, including the accused of trafficking drugs that some scholars said stretched the boundaries of international law.
Maduro due in court Monday
A middle-of-the-night , Cilia Flores, from their home in a military base in the capital city of Caracas 鈥� an act Maduro鈥檚 government called 鈥渋mperialist.鈥� The couple faces U.S. charges of participating in a narco-terrorism conspiracy.
The dramatic seizure capped an on Venezuela鈥檚 autocratic leader and months of secret planning, resulting in the most assertive American action to achieve regime change since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. about the lawfulness of the operation, which was done without congressional approval.
Maduro is due to make his first appearance Monday in Manhattan’s federal court.
He and other Venezuelan officials were indicted in 2020 on narco-terrorism conspiracy charges, and the Saturday of Maduro and his wife that painted his administration as a 鈥渃orrupt, illegitimate government鈥� fueled by a drug-trafficking operation that flooded the U.S with cocaine. The U.S. government does not recognize Maduro as the country鈥檚 leader.
Quiet falls in Venezuela
Venezuela鈥檚 government kept operating as usual over the weekend as ministers remained in their posts.
The capital Sunday with few vehicles moving around and convenience stores, gas stations and other businesses closed.
Maduro鈥檚 son, lawmaker Nicol谩s Ernesto Guerra, has not appeared in public since the attack. On Saturday, he posted on Instagram a government statement repudiating the capture of his father and stepmother.
The country鈥檚 incoming National Assembly is set to be sworn in at the legislative palace in Caracas. The unicameral assembly will remain under control of the ruling party.
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Garcia Cano reported from Caracas, Venezuela. Associated Press writers Darlene Superville aboard Air Force One, Jorge Rueda in Caracas, Venezuela, and Isabel Debre in Buenos Aires, Argentina, contributed to this report.
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