The United States clarified Sunday it would not assume direct governance of Venezuela following the capture of ousted leader Nicolas Maduro, but vowed to maintain a strict oil embargo to push for reforms in the crisis-hit nation, as airlines rushed to restore flights amid the upheaval.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that Washington would avoid “a day-to-day role in governing Venezuela other than enforcing an existing ‘oil quarantine’ on the country,” according to statements addressing the fallout from Saturday’s military operation.
“The U.S. would continue to enforce an oil blockade that was already in place on sanctioned tankers,” Rubio said, adding that America would leverage the measure “as a means to press policy changes in Venezuela.”
The remarks appeared to soften President Donald Trump’s earlier assertion that US forces would “run” the oil-rich country temporarily after abducting Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, who now face narco-terrorism and drug trafficking charges in New York.
In Caracas, Venezuela’s armed forces decried the raid, with General-in-Chief Vladimir Padrino López stating they “categorically reject the cowardly kidnapping” of Maduro.
The defense minister demanded Maduro’s immediate release, insisting he remains “the rightful leader of the South American country.”
Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s former vice president, stepped in as interim leader, though the military rebuffed her authority, signaling potential fractures in the regime’s ranks.
Meanwhile, major US carriers including American, United, Delta, JetBlue, and Southwest announced additional flights to Venezuela and nearby destinations like Antigua, Curacao, Puerto Rico, and Aruba, after services resumed following disruptions caused by the incursion.
The developments have sparked international alarm over Washington’s aggressive push for regime change, exacerbating Venezuela’s longstanding political and economic turmoil under heavy sanctions.
