type: timeline_event
Secretary of State Marco Rubio testifies for nearly three hours before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about U.S. policy toward Venezuela, answering questions for the first time since U.S. forces captured President Nicolás Maduro on January 3. Rubio tells senators: "I can tell you right now with full certainty, we are not postured to, nor do we intend or expect to have to take any military action in Venezuela at any time."
However, in written remarks not delivered orally, Rubio states the U.S. remains "prepared to use force to ensure maximum cooperation" from Venezuela's interim authorities if other methods fail. Rubio describes the operation as a "strategic" necessity, characterizing Venezuela under Maduro as a "base of operation for virtually every competitor, adversary and enemy in the world," including Iran, Russia, and Cuba.
Rubio defends the ongoing U.S. naval "quarantine" of Venezuelan oil and the arrangement requiring Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodríguez to submit monthly budgets to Washington for approval before the U.S. Treasury releases proceeds from oil sales the U.S. is directing. Rubio tells Sen. Chris Murphy he cannot provide a timeline for Venezuela's democratic transition: "I can't give you a timeline. It can't take forever. We need to be much further along six months from now, even three months from now."
Democrats express concerns that the administration is replacing one authoritarian leader with another, noting Rodríguez has taken no meaningful steps to reduce Iranian, Chinese, or Russian influence. Sen. Rand Paul raises concerns about the legality of the operation and the precedent it sets for unilateral military action without congressional authorization. Sen. Tim Kaine pushes for more transparency and continues advocating for his War Powers Resolution to block unauthorized hostilities in Venezuela.
The hearing marks significant congressional scrutiny of the Trump administration's most dramatic foreign policy action, with lawmakers from both parties demanding clearer benchmarks and a defined exit strategy.