In recent news, Secretary of State Marco Rubio was featured during a combined press briefing alongside Ecuador’s Foreign Minister, Gabriela Sommerfeld. The discussion focused on the momentous action against a vessel, which according to U.S. authorities, was transporting illegal substances from Venezuela. This event potentially indicates a significant alteration in the diplomatic dynamics between the two nations. Yet, increasing pressure on the South American country has been characteristic of Rubio’s political trajectory spanning over a quarter of a century.
Rubio is considered a stalwart figure among President Donald Trump’s diplomatic delegates, having previously served as a senator for Florida. His portrayal of Venezuela as a lingering relic of communism in the Western Hemisphere resonates with his political stance. Over the years, Rubio has not only endorsed the displacement of the incumbent leader, Nicolás Maduro, but has also backed economic sanctions and even posited the necessity of American military engagement.
Prior to his appointment to the Trump administration, Rubio was recognized as a robust proponent of invasive foreign policies within the Republican Party. Such policies, at times, felt incongruous to former President Trump’s ‘America First’ policy narrative. Rubio’s unwavering focus on Venezuela has centered on demanding decisive action against the erstwhile leader, Chávez, and his successor, Maduro.
Rubio’s continuous denunciation of communism has garnered him substantial support from Venezuelan expatriots. Geoff Ramsey, a senior Venezuela analyst at the Atlantic Council, recently opined that Rubio perceives a chance to advance an assertive U.S. strategy in Latin America.
Following his defeat by Trump in the 2016 GOP primaries, and Trump’s eventual commencement of his presidential tenure in 2017, Rubio assumed an advisory role. He emerged as a principal influencer in applying sanctions against high-ranking Venezuelan officials, alleging them of human rights violations and drug trafficking links.
In 2019, amid the suppression of turbulence by Venezuelan forces and the plea for foreign intervention by an opposition leader, Rubio took to Twitter. He published several posts juxtaposing the before and after scenarios of overthrown leaders. Notably, he cited instances such as Libya’s Moammar Gadhafi, slain by rebels in 2011, and Panama’s Manuel Noriega, expelled during a U.S. incursion in 1989.
The United States, among numerous other nations, abstains from acknowledging Maduro as the legitimate president of Venezuela. This stance is fortified by the convincing proof suggesting Maduro’s loss in the previous year’s election. In tandem with the upheavals, the bounty placed on Maduro’s apprehension has seen a marked increase.
Maduro was indicted in a Manhattan federal court in 2020 on allegations of narcoterrorism and conspiracy to smuggle cocaine. Subsequently, the U.S. put forth a $15 million reward for his capture. Interestingly, the Biden administration escalated this offer to $25 million, a bounty notably equivalent to the one set up for Osama bin Laden.
Further intensifying the situation, the Trump administration doubled this bounty, raising the price on Maduro’s head to a staggering $50 million. Maduro has publicly attributed Rubio’s involvement in the surge of American naval forces in the region prior to the unexpected strike that took place earlier this week.
The post U.S. Tackles Illegal Substance Transport from Venezuela appeared first on Real News Now.
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