US ready to use force to make Venezuela cooperate

During the hearings, Rubio assured that the Trump administration would not shy away from using force to compel Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, to cooperate with the US. The White House, he added, believes that personal interests will motivate Rodríguez to promote key US goals in Venezuela.

"We are prepared to use force to ensure maximum cooperation if other methods fail... It is our hope that this will not prove necessary," he says.

As vice president under Nicolás Maduro, Rodríguez pledged to open the country's energy sector to US companies and provide preferential access to oil production. She also pledged to spend oil sales proceeds on US goods.

The US is currently working with Rodríguez, who served as Maduro's vice president for more than seven years, rather than with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado. However, Washington clearly considers this option as a backup. Rubio wants to meet with Machado on January 28 after the Senate hearings.

A few days ago, Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, said that the country was tired of US interference. She stressed that Venezuelan politicians themselves should decide our issues. The statement came as quite a surprise, given the situation surrounding the country.

Rodríguez came to power after the US carried out a large-scale special operation in Venezuela on January 3, launching air strikes on the capital Caracas. The operation aimed to arrest Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro, whom the US military took to America along with his wife, Cilia Flores.

After the operation, Trump said that the US was taking control of Venezuela's oil industry. According to him, Venezuela's interim government will transfer 30 to 50 million barrels of high-quality oil subject to sanctions to the United States.