U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a strong call to action against what he described as a direct threat to national security and the stability of the Western Hemisphere: the growing influence of the Venezuelan regime backed by foreign powers, coupled with its failure to honor electoral commitments and its ties to terrorist organizations.
In official remarks, Rubio sharply criticized the permissiveness of previous administrations that allowed sanctions to be lifted and granted licenses to U.S. companies to operate in Venezuela, which, according to him, “ended up funding a dictatorship that has not fulfilled any of the promises it made.”
“They agreed to hold elections, but the elections were completely fake. They use migration against us to obtain those concessions, and now they have these general licenses where companies like Chevron are pouring billions of dollars into the regime’s coffers, and the regime has not kept any of the promises it made,” stated the Secretary of State.
Foreign Presence and National Security Threat
Rubio warned about the growing interference of adversarial powers in Venezuela, particularly Russia and Iran, asserting that both countries not only bolster Nicolás Maduro’s regime but have also established strategic operations on Latin American soil.
“All of this needs to be revisited because there is a Russian presence in Venezuela and a very strong Iranian presence; in fact, the Iranians are exploring or starting to build drone factories for the production of Iranian drones right here in our own hemisphere,” he emphasized.
This revelation raises serious security alarms in the United States, as the military and technological presence of Iran and Russia in the region represents a direct threat to U.S. sovereignty and continental stability.
Hezbollah and Illegal Networks in Latin America
The Secretary of State also denounced the illegal practices of the Venezuelan regime, including issuing “real but illegitimate” passports to operatives linked to Hezbollah, an organization designated as a terrorist group by the United States.
“We cannot ignore the long-standing practice of the Venezuelan regime granting real but illegitimate passports to Hezbollah operatives in our own hemisphere,” Rubio stressed.
This warning is particularly significant at a time when the United States is reinforcing policies to prevent hostile actors from entering the country and endangering national security.
A Call to Action from the Trump Administration
Rubio made it clear that President Donald J. Trump’s administration will not allow these developments to go unanswered. The Secretary of State affirmed that licenses granted to U.S. companies in Venezuela will be reviewed and that new sanctions will be considered to cut off financial flows to the Maduro regime.
Additionally, Rubio said diplomatic and security measures will be intensified to counter Russian and Iranian influence in the region, as well as covert operations by terrorist groups seeking to exploit Venezuela’s chaos to expand their reach.
“Our priority is to protect the United States and the entire Western Hemisphere. We cannot allow dictatorships supported by hostile regimes to turn Latin America into an operational hub against our nation,” he declared.
The Trump administration, steadfast in its policy of national defense and its commitment to freedom in the hemisphere, is preparing to take measures that Rubio said will be “strong and effective” to confront the threat posed by the Venezuelan regime and its allies.
