Rubio says US won't govern Venezuela but will press for changes through oil blockade

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: AP

Updated 12:30 PM EST, January 4, 2026


WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested Sunday that the United States would not take a day-to-day role in governing Venezuela other than enforcing an existing “oil quarantine” on the country, a turnaround after President Donald Trump announced a day earlier that the U.S. would be running Venezuela following its ouster of leader Nicolás Maduro.

Rubio’s statements on TV talk shows seemed designed to temper concerns about whether the assertive American action to achieve regime change might again produce a prolonged foreign intervention or failed attempt at nation-building. They stood in contrast to Trump’s broad but vague claims that the U.S. would at least temporarily “run” the oil-rich nation, comments that suggested some sort of governing structure under which Caracas would be controlled by Washington.

But Rubio offered a more nuanced take, saying the U.S. would continue to enforce an oil quarantine that was already in place on sanctioned tankers before Maduro was removed from power early Saturday and using that leverage as a means to press policy changes in Venezuela.

“And so that’s the sort of control the president is pointing to when he says that,” Rubio said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “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.”

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-maduro-trump-military-operation-85041a1ec03bafe839b785a95169d694

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[unblock]

1. Right. They have no interest in actually running the country, they just want the oil.

The actual running of the country can be done by anyone willing to sell oil to us cheaply. Anyone else will be kidnapped and prosecuted.

[Martin68]

10. Taking the oil will require enormous investment.

[marble falls]

2. What aministration is Rubio a member of? Isn't he on the memo loop???

[Kali]

3. LOL

fucking incompetent idiots

[rsdsharp]

4. Dumpie expressly said we are going to "run" Venezuela.

Knowing you’re not contradicting your orange god, Lil Marco, explain the difference between “run” and “govern” vis-a- vis a country of nearly 30 million people.

[flashman13]

5. Let me manplain this: We are not going to occupy Venezuela, we are just going to wage war by way of a

blockade (which is understood under international law to be an act of war) until they capitulate to our demands. That is, until they give us their oil at below market prices.

[liberalgunwilltravel]

6. So who's in charge?

TACO said the US was going to rule Venezuela for a while and Lil’ Marco says no. So which is it?

[William Seger]

7. "Rubio says" has zero credibility now, and it didn't have far to fall (nt}

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

8. In other words

These people don't know what the fuck they are doing.

[bronxiteforever]

13. 100% agree. No plan or concept of a plan.

[William Seger]

15. Rubio apparently doesn't know what the fuck #rump is doing

... or he lied when he testified to Congress that there were no plans for an invasion or regime change. Either way, Rubio is irrelevant.

[Doodley]

9. Rubio is a spineless, unprincipled POS. Here is the proof:

[lonely bird]

11. Hey, Little Marco?

Fuck all the way off, you shit weasel.

[lark]

12. Krasnov totally lied, like usual!

No wonder Rubio reacted so strongly when orange liar said the Secty. of State would be in charge~~~

[moonshinegnomie]

14. china should send chinese flagged tankers to load oil

let the US try and blockade them. ideally protected by chinese warships. hell russia could to the same.

[Mawspam2]

16. Rubio sees himself as the next Paul Bremer.

He wants to be installed as the US administrator of occupied Venezuela.

[Bayard]

17. Sounds like the lady left in charge did not get trump's memo either

Its extortion to keep the country's oil in quarantine, (whatever the hell that means,) to get what they want.

[ArizonaLib]

18. Republicans don't govern

They loot