How Does Marco Rubio Manage Venezuela Remotely from Washington?

The New York Times reported that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has become the de facto ruler of Venezuela from the capital Washington, as he practically controls the country's finances, distribution of its natural resources, and management of its government, in an unprecedented influence for an American official since the United States took over the administration of Iraq after the American invasion in 2003.

According to the newspaper, Rubio's grip on Venezuela represents a clear embodiment of the nature of American power in the era of President Donald Trump, as Washington now exercises broad influence over a sovereign state following the operation that ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro last January.

Earlier this year, Trump was sitting in the Oval Office with his Secretary of State when an idea occurred to him: the possibility of sending Rubio permanently to Caracas, where U.S. commando forces carried out the operation that the American president considers the most prominent foreign policy achievement of his second term, after they arrested Maduro.

Trump indicated that Rubio might be the next leader of Venezuela, and while the president's aides say he was joking, and that he often teases Rubio about assigning him an overseas mission, the truth is that the U.S. Secretary of State does not need to move to Caracas, because he already runs Venezuela from Washington, according to the newspaper.

In the six months following U.S. forces storming Maduro's bedroom in the middle of the night and arresting him, Rubio has become the de facto ruler of Venezuela, imposing his influence on a sovereign state in a way no American official has since L. Paul Bremer III arrived in Baghdad in 2003 to administer Iraq, which was under American occupation at the time.

Control over Money, Resources, and Government

According to interviews conducted by the New York Times with more than 10 officials and people close to the governments of Washington and Caracas, Rubio has practically taken control of Venezuela's finances, distribution of its natural resources, and its government. The sources provided details about his role in directing the country's policies. Many of them requested anonymity to discuss private communications and internal discussions.

Although he has not personally visited Venezuela since the United States took control of it, the U.S. Secretary of State Rubio is deeply involved in managing the country's daily affairs and maintains close communication with Delcy Rodriguez, who was Maduro's vice president and now temporarily leads the country with U.S. approval.

Rubio and Rodriguez exchange messages in Spanish via the WhatsApp application, including small talk, birthday greetings, and personal photos.

But despite this cordial relationship, the relationship between Rubio and Rodriguez is not a partnership, according to the newspaper, but rather an embodiment of American power in the Trump era, where the winning side gets everything regardless of sovereignty and international law.

For his part, Rubio downplayed his role in Venezuela and largely avoided talking about the nature of his work in the country, and he declined several requests from the newspaper for an interview.

Tommy Pigott, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, said in a statement: "Through renewed cooperation and sound economic management, Venezuela can once again become a stable and prosperous partner, whose citizens benefit from its vast natural resources and enhanced relations with the United States."

The New York Times explained that direct control over Venezuela's public revenues represents an exceptional case of Washington's influence, compared to most other countries subject to its military and financial power.

The U.S. Treasury Department receives revenues from most of Venezuela's exports, then gradually distributes them to the country through private Venezuelan banks, in a relationship that, according to the newspaper, resembles parents giving their children a specific allowance. Rubio and his team set the conditions for how this money is spent and which entities can use it.

Financial Influence

This system allows the U.S. Secretary of State to halt many corruption operations in Venezuela, while also providing some benefits to the Venezuelan government, which uses the de facto protection provided by the U.S. Treasury Department to obtain revenues without being pursued by the numerous creditors seeking to collect billions of dollars in outstanding unpaid debts.

But this arrangement has also given Rubio enormous leverage over Rodriguez, who depends on this money to pay employee salaries and support the national currency.

Rubio also oversees the implementation of U.S. sanctions imposed on Venezuela, determining which entities can do business in the country and the nature of these activities.

The U.S. Secretary of State has worked to reshape the oil sector and enhanced access for American companies. For her part, Rodriguez presents him with important government appointments before they are approved, such as the appointment of the Minister of Defense.

Strengthening the Interim Government

Since two earthquakes struck Venezuela last month, Rubio has sought to support the country's transitional government.

The United States sent 900 military personnel to Caracas, pledged nearly $400 million in aid, and delivered shipments of cash to the Venezuelan government.

But those earthquakes complicated Rubio's stated mission to restore democracy to Venezuela, as the American secretary acknowledged last month that it "represents a setback in this regard."

However, the country's ability to recover is crucial to achieving Trump's ultimate goal: securing Venezuelan oil to serve American interests.

A Return to the Era of American Expansion

The New York Times described this arrangement as highly unusual, coming 80 years after the United States gave up its last major official colony, the Philippines.

But Trump has made clear he wants to return to the era of American expansion, after talking about the possibility of taking over Greenland, Canada, and the Panama Canal.

The American president achieved his greatest successes in this path inside Venezuela, but the matter involves risks, as Trump's critics accuse the United States of draining Caracas's resources and supporting an authoritarian government by largely keeping Maduro's aides in their positions.

This arrangement also ties the United States to the fate of an unelected and widely unpopular regime facing increasing demands for political change.

During a congressional hearing last February, Democratic Representative Sean Casten said, addressing Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent: "Secretary Rubio has stated that we are not at war with Venezuela."

Casten questioned the authority the United States has to control Venezuela's assets. Bessent replied that he would provide an answer later.

Rubio's starkly realist approach in Venezuela represents a sharp shift for a man who spent his political career presenting himself as a defender of democracy in Latin America, as he stated that his goal is ultimately to achieve a democratic transition in the country.

The outcome of the American experiment in Venezuela could be an influential factor in Rubio's political future, at a time when Trump is thinking about who might succeed him.

Make Venezuela Great Again

In the early hours of January 3, shortly after Maduro's arrest, Rubio spoke by phone with Rodriguez.

During the call, which was conducted in Spanish, Rubio told her she had two options: either cooperate with the United States, or face a broader attack targeting Venezuela's infrastructure, military bases, and senior officials, according to the newspaper.

After negotiations, Rodriguez agreed. Trump quoted her as telling Rubio that she was "basically ready to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again."

The American president added that the United States would take over "running the country" until a "safe, sound, and thoughtful transition" of power occurs.

Days later, Trump said in an interview with the New York Times that he expects the United States to run Venezuela for years.

Rubio Runs the Levers of Power

At the heart of this influence is Rubio, whom other officials describe as the "Viceroy," the title given to the governors who administered the Spanish Empire until Venezuela and most of its other provinces gained independence in the early 19th century.

As Rodriguez began forming her government, Rubio intervened in key appointment decisions, encouraging her to sideline members of Maduro's family and his business partners, and she complied.

Most Venezuelans expressed relief at Maduro's fall, but were stunned when the Trump administration formed an alliance with most of his senior aides who had implemented his policies.

Inflation rates have fallen, but they remain the highest in the world, and the Venezuelan currency continues to lose value. Millions of people are demanding new elections, putting pressure on Rubio to move from merely making economic deals to effecting political change in the country, while investors are wary of pouring capital into a system that could collapse at any moment.

Before the earthquakes, Rodriguez was asking Rubio to grant her more financial independence and lift economic sanctions to ease internal pressure on her government. The U.S. Secretary of State expressed understanding of her demands, but the U.S. government did not relinquish its control.

Rubio's relationship with Rodriguez has caused dismay among some veteran American diplomats, Venezuelan-Americans, and Trump allies who oppose the idea of keeping Maduro's top aides in power.

Influence over the Oil Sector

Rubio and other officials dismissed these concerns, pointing out that Rodriguez has carried out almost all the orders issued by the U.S. administration, especially those related to the country's finances.

Venezuela sells a large portion of its oil through the oil trading companies Trafigura and Vitol, under an arrangement set by the Trump administration.

The newspaper noted that Rubio's influence has far exceeded that of Energy Secretary Chris Wright in efforts to reopen Venezuela's oil sector to foreign investment, which is the cornerstone of Trump's vision for Venezuela.

He also prioritized the entry of new American companies into the Venezuelan market over European oil companies already operating in the country.

Ben Diedrich, a spokesperson for Wright, said the Energy Secretary worked closely with Rubio and spoke regularly with energy sector leaders and Rodriguez.

The newspaper added that Washington's influence over the Venezuelan economy extends beyond oil revenues, as Rubio's team prepares licenses granting companies wishing to do business in Venezuela exemptions from U.S. sanctions, and the Secretary of State warned the Rodriguez government against establishing trade relations with America's adversaries.

Cooperation and Handover of Wanted Individuals

The Trump administration also succeeded in pressuring Rodriguez to hand over Venezuelans wanted by the U.S. Department of Justice. At Washington's request, her government arrested Alex Saab, a billionaire close to Maduro and his business partner, in February, and agreed to extradite him to the United States, after stripping him of his Venezuelan passport.

Some officials believe the U.S. Department of Justice wants to use Saab to strengthen the case against Maduro, who has been charged with various crimes related to drug trafficking.

In June, the Rodriguez government helped the United States kill a gang leader with extensive ties to Venezuelan officials, according to several people familiar with the details of the operation.

The newspaper said U.S. forces used intelligence provided by Rodriguez's officials to kill Nino Guerrero, a leader of the Tren de Aragua gang, in a missile strike targeting a remote area in southern Venezuela.

It added that the operation constituted the first military cooperation between the two countries in decades, before the Venezuelan government recovered the gang leader's body and handed it over to the United States.

The Trump administration accused this gang of cooperating with Maduro to flood the United States with drugs and illegal immigrants, although U.S. intelligence agencies concluded last year that Maduro did not control the gang.

Washington Controls Caracas's Messages

The New York Times said the Trump administration's influence was not limited to economic and security aspects, but also extended to Rodriguez's public appearances and statements.

In May, Rubio announced that the country's interim president would travel to India before the Venezuelan government announced it, surprising Venezuelan officials and foreign diplomats.

The newspaper noted that when Bret Baier, a Fox News anchor, contacted Rodriguez for an interview, she told him that Trump must approve first.

It added that the American president was impressed by her referring the matter to him, and kept telling this story repeatedly to others when they asked him about it, according to several informed sources.

When the United States attacked Iran, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Ivan Gil issued a statement condemning, in a muted tone, what he described as aggression against Venezuela's longtime ally.

But the Trump administration told Rodriguez that the post must be deleted, and warned her against showing any public support for America's adversaries again. Gil deleted the post hours after it was published.

According to the New York Times, this constituted an acknowledgment that Venezuela no longer sets its own foreign policy.

Assurances from Trump

According to the New York Times, Rubio laid out the U.S. administration's plan for Venezuela in 3 phases: reviving the economy, stabilizing the country, and then transitioning it to democracy.

The newspaper added that American officials said, before the earthquakes, that Washington had moved to the second phase of the plan, which focuses on opening Venezuela to international investment.

As part of this phase, senior Trump administration officials traveled to Caracas to meet their counterparts and conclude new deals in the energy and mining sectors, but the announcements from those visits were mostly limited to optimistic visions of potential investments.

In March, U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum visited Venezuela and met Rodriguez at the presidential palace.

During the visit, Rubio sent a text message to Rodriguez inquiring about how the meeting was going. She told him the meeting was going well, then sent him a selfie photo of herself with Burgum.

But the meeting coincided with a negative development, as Reuters reported the same day that the U.S. Department of Justice was secretly building a legal case against Rodriguez.

The report caused shock within the Rodriguez administration, which requested clarifications from the White House. To allay their concerns, Todd Blanche, who was then Deputy Attorney General, described the report as "completely baseless."

But the Venezuelan government demanded further guarantees, so Rubio sent a text message to Rodriguez the next day containing a link to a social media post written by Trump.

The American president's post read: "Delcy Rodriguez, President of Venezuela, is doing a great job, and cooperating very well with representatives of the United States."

According to the New York Times, Rodriguez felt relieved by the post and wanted to thank Trump with a post of her own, but she first showed the draft to Rubio, and only published it after obtaining his approval.

The newspaper noted that before Maduro's arrest, U.S. prosecutors were investigating a number of Venezuelan officials, including Rodriguez, although it was not clear whether those investigations had yielded evidence of crimes.

It added that the Associated Press reported in May that the Trump administration had asked prosecutors to halt the investigation into Rodriguez.

Foreign Investment Determines the Future of Rubio's Plan

The New York Times stated that the success of stabilization efforts in Venezuela, the second phase of Rubio's plan, depends largely on foreign investment, but investors remain cautious.

The newspaper explained that Venezuela's oil sector suffers from decay and corruption, and Rodriguez's grip on power remains uncertain, at a time when the earthquakes have delayed negotiations on new oil contracts. But Trump seems unfazed, having repeatedly hinted at the possibility of Venezuela becoming the 51st state of the United States.

The Fate of Leadership and Elections in Rubio's Hands

The identity of the person who might permanently lead Venezuela remains undecided, and although Maria Corina Machado, the exiled opposition leader, is the most popular political figure in the country, she has powerful opponents within the Venezuelan security and military apparatus, leading Rubio to bypass her and choose Rodriguez as the leader selected by the United States to run the country.

The New York Times noted that Rubio was previously one of Machado's most prominent supporters, but he has distanced himself from her in recent months.

The cooling of relations between the Trump administration and Machado turned into an open rift after the earthquakes, as American officials refused to help her return to Venezuela for fear it would fuel unrest.

The timeline for the final phase of Rubio's plan for Venezuela, which is holding free elections, remains unspecified. When Rodriguez was asked in May about when elections would be held, she replied: "I don't know. Sometime."

The newspaper quoted political analysts as saying that Rodriguez may be trying to buy time until the end of Trump's second term, hoping that pressure for elections will ease under his successor. But the newspaper pointed out that the decision on the election date remains, for now, outside her authority, as it lies in Rubio's hands.