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America’s top diplomat has touted the “strategic” importance of Maduro’s abduction, but has said little about international law.
Published January 28, 2026
Secretary of State Marco Rubio begins testifying at a Senate committee hearing on the U.S. abduction of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
At the beginning of Wednesday’s hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Rubio defended the operation, which has been roundly criticized as a grave violation of international law.
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Mr. Rubio noted the “strategic” importance of the Jan. 3 abduction of Maduro, describing Venezuela as “the base of operations of almost every competitor, adversary, and enemy in the world.”
He cited Venezuela’s alleged ties with Iran, Russia, and Cuba.
“[Maduro’s rise to power]is a huge strategic risk for the United States, not on the other side of the world, not on another continent, but in the hemisphere where we all live, with dramatic implications not just for us but for Colombia, the Caribbean Basin, and everywhere else,” he told lawmakers.
“It was an unsustainable situation and needed to be addressed. The question is what happens next,” he said.
Rubio said the United States has three goals regarding Venezuela, culminating in a “transitional phase that leaves us with a friendly, stable, prosperous and democratic Venezuela.”
In the meeting, Rubio defended US President Donald Trump’s decision to continue working with Maduro’s surrounding government, including interim President Delcy Rodriguez, although he did not initially support an opposition takeover.
Rubio said the primary aim is to avoid a civil war in Venezuela and to “establish a respectful but very direct and honest dialogue with those who control elements of Venezuela today.”
He said the second stage is a “recovery period, a stage in which the oil industry is hoped to normalize.”
Speaking before Mr. Rubio, the top Senate Democrat, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, focused little on the broader international law implications of the Trump administration’s approach to Venezuela.
Instead, she focused on costs, noting that the military operation and ongoing naval blockade are estimated by some outside analysts to cost $1 billion.
“It’s no wonder, then, why so many voters are asking why the president is spending so much time on Venezuela rather than economic concerns about living and putting food on the table.”
