'He could have left Venezuela': Rubio discloses last-minute US offer to Maduro

The United States had offered Nicolas Maduro a chance to leave Venezuela as recently as a week and a half before his capture, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio revealed on Sunday. He rejected suggestions that the US is now at war with Venezuela. "We are at war against drug trafficking organisations and not a war against Venezuela," Rubio said in an interview with NBC News.

Asked who is effectively in charge of Venezuela and whether Washington is now running the country, Rubio said the US expects changes - immediately and over the long term - but said those changes are being driven by American national interests.

"We expect to see changes in Venezuela. Changes of all kinds, long-term, short-term. And the most immediate changes are those in the interest of the United States, and that's why we're involved here," he said. "Because of how it applies and has a direct impact on the United States. We will not be able to allow in our hemisphere a country that becomes a crossroads for the activities of all our adversaries around the world. We can't allow it."

Rubio said the US would not tolerate a situation in which Venezuela's security apparatus is openly cooperating with criminal networks. "We can't have a country where the people in charge of its military and in charge of its police department are openly cooperating with drug trafficking organisations," he said. "We're not going to allow that. These are direct threats to the United States. We intend to use every element of leverage we have to ensure that changes."

Addressing questions about why the Trump administration is engaging with Venezuela's Vice President Delcy Rodríguez while not formally backing opposition leader María Corina Machado, Rubio said the decision was driven by what he described as "immediate reality".

"Maria Corina Machado is fantastic and someone I've known for a long time," Rubio said. "We are dealing with immediate reality. The immediate reality is, unfortunately and sadly, the vast majority of the opposition is no longer present inside Venezuela. We have short-term things that have to be addressed right away."

Rubio said the US continues to support a democratic transition in Venezuela but is currently focused on near-term outcomes tied to American security interests. "We all wish to see a bright future for Venezuela and a transition to democracy. I've worked on that for 15 years in the Senate and national security, and now as Secretary of State," he said.

It was in this context that Rubio disclosed that Maduro had been offered an exit shortly before his capture - and had refused it. "With Nicolas Maduro you could not make a deal and arrangement," Rubio said. "By the way he was given very generous offers. He could have left Venezuela as recently as a week and a half ago. There were opportunities available to him to avoid all this."

The US special forces, including Delta Force, in a dramatic midnight operation, captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from their fortified residence in the Fuerte Tiuna military complex in Caracas on January 3.

Rubio said the US had concluded Maduro was not a reliable interlocutor, citing past dealings with Washington. "Because he's not someone we can work with. He suckered the Biden administration into stupid deals," Rubio said. "He's made a career out of not keeping deals and figuring out how to save himself by buying time. President Trump was not going to fall into that trap."

With Maduro now in custody, the US Secretary of State said the focus has shifted to Venezuela's military and police leadership. "So there are other people in charge of the military and police apparatus there. They'll have to decide which direction they want to go," he said. "We hope they’ll choose a different direction than the one Maduro picked."

Rubio said the US hopes this leads to what he described as a "holistic transition", but warned that pressure would continue until specific conditions are met. "But right now, first steps are securing what's in the national interest of the United States and beneficial for the people of Venezuela," he said. "No more drug trafficking, no more Iran, Hezbollah presence there, and no more using the oil industry to enrich the adversaries around the world and not benefiting the people of Venezuela, and frankly benefiting the United States and the region."

Until those issues are addressed, Rubio said the US enforcement actions will continue. "Until they address it, they will continue to face the oil quarantine and face pressure from the United States," he said. "We will continue to target drug boats as they run toward the United States. We will continue to seize the boats that are sanctioned. We will continue to do that and potentially other things until the things we need to see addressed are addressed."