US-Venezuela relations face testing debates as Rubio defends Maduro strike

Marco Rubio defended President Donald Trump's military strike against former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, telling US lawmakers the operation made the United States safer and helped reshape US-Venezuela relations, even as sceptical Democrats questioned the strategy, its costs, and its wider impact on NATO, China, Russia, Iran and domestic priorities.

During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, the Secretary of State faced sharp questions over why Trump concentrated on Venezuela while US citizens confronted rising living costs. Senator Jeanne Shaheen argued that many senior Maduro aides remained influential, and raised concerns about whether the intervention was worth the financial and political risks taken by the United States.

Committee chairman Senator Jim Risch of Idaho described the Venezuelan operation as limited in size and duration, stating it involved "only about 200 troops" and lasted under 27 minutes. Risch said the strike was tightly focused and achieved its immediate goal, while Rubio stressed that the broader effort to stabilise Venezuela would take time and close cooperation with interim authorities.

Rubio told senators that Washington now intends to work closely with Venezuela's interim leadership to restore basic services and strengthen US-Venezuela relations. "We're not going to have this thing turn around overnight, but I think we're making good and decent progress," Rubio said, adding that current Venezuelan leaders are engaging with US officials and are expected to gain from the new arrangements.

Under the revised sanctions approach, Venezuela will again be allowed to sell oil that was previously blocked by US restrictions. Revenue from those sales will fund core state needs, including policing and healthcare programmes. The money will be held in a US Treasury-controlled account, and monthly spending plans will require US approval before funds are released.

Senator Jeanne Shaheen questioned whether the Venezuelan operation justified the expense, given the continuing economic hardship inside the country and the survival of many Maduro-era officials in powerful posts. Shaheen also pressed Rubio on why Trump appeared to prioritise Venezuela over domestic challenges such as wages, inflation and the overall cost of living facing US households.

Shaheen summed up Democratic unease by warning that "From Venezuela to Europe, the United States is spending more, risking more and achieving less," arguing that the administration risked overextending US commitments. Rubio responded that Washington’s aim remained support for democratic institutions in Venezuela, not simply access to oil or pursuit of narrow security interests.

US-Venezuela relations, NATO debates and Greenland concerns

Lawmakers also examined how the Venezuela decision fit into broader foreign policy disputes involving NATO and Greenland. Rubio rejected claims that Trump's approach weakened the Atlantic alliance, instead repeating the administration’s call for higher defence spending by European partners. "NATO needs to be reimagined," Rubio said, adding, "I just think this president complains about it louder than other presidents."

Rubio played down anxiety inside NATO about Trump's public interest in acquiring Greenland from Denmark, saying discussions continued among allies. According to Rubio, Trump believes US security would benefit from greater strategic presence there, especially against activity by Russia and China in the Arctic region, yet the president recently stepped back from imposing tariffs on European countries that had supported Denmark.

US-Venezuela relations, China, Taiwan and global calculations

Questioned about how events in Venezuela might affect China's long-term plans, Rubio argued that Beijing's objective regarding Taiwan is driven by internal priorities rather than US moves in Latin America. "The situation on Taiwan is a legacy project that Chinese President Xi Jinping has made very clear that that's what he intends to do," Rubio said, stressing that Chinese decisions on Taiwan would not change because of the Maduro operation.

Democratic senators probed whether operations like the one in Venezuela could influence how China and Russia assess US resolve and global reach. Rubio answered that Washington must manage several challenges at once, including US-Venezuela relations, tensions in the Indo-Pacific, and Europe's security, and said the administration weighed those factors when considering military or diplomatic steps.

US-Venezuela relations, Iranian threats and Middle East deployments

As Trump again warned Iran about possible military action, senators pressed Rubio on whether another strike was being prepared. Rubio replied that there were no current plans for an attack, but cautioned that any attempt to change Tehran's leadership would demand "a lot of careful thinking" because Iran's political structure was far more complex than Maduro's system in Venezuela.

The Secretary of State explained that Washington’s recent build-up in the Middle East, including the arrival of an aircraft carrier and several warships, aimed to deter potential Iranian moves against US personnel and positions. He linked these deployments to a broader strategy of signalling resolve without automatically repeating the type of operation used in Venezuela.

US-Venezuela relations, diplomatic presence and future ties

Rubio outlined plans to send more US diplomats to Caracas as part of a gradual rebuilding of US-Venezuela relations. The State Department hopes this step will support eventual reopening of the US Embassy, which closed in 2019. Full normalisation, however, would require Washington to withdraw its recognition of Venezuela's 2015 parliament as the country's legitimate legislature.

Senator Cory Booker challenged Rubio about working with interim figures who had previously served under Maduro. Rubio said the United States expected extensive changes, including opening Venezuela's energy sector to US companies and halting subsidised oil shipments to Cuba. According to Rubio, the Venezuelan government has now created direct channels with Washington and appears to follow Trump's conditions by freeing prisoners detained under Maduro.

US-Venezuela relations in the context of wider foreign policy

Throughout the hearing, Republican senators largely backed Trump's decision on Maduro and praised the operation's limited scope, while Democrats remained doubtful about long-term gains and the overall foreign policy direction. Rubio tried to link US-Venezuela relations with a broader effort to adjust alliances, confront Iran, and respond to competition from China and Russia, arguing that the administration sought to balance these overlapping pressures without abandoning existing commitments.

The discussion closed with acknowledgement that the Venezuelan situation, NATO burden-sharing disputes, questions over Greenland, Iranian tensions, and China's ambitions over Taiwan would continue to test US diplomacy. Rubio maintained that the administration viewed the Venezuela operation as a contained success, while senators from both parties signalled that they would keep scrutinising how such actions fit within wider US interests and resources.