KABUL: Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, stated after the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by special military forces that Washington’s mission regarding Caracas will differ from its previous involvements in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya.
He made the remarks in an interview with CBS News on Sunday night.
He emphasized that the situation in Venezuela is not comparable to that in Afghanistan or Iraq, noting Venezuela’s closer ties with Iran, its relationship with Hezbollah, and its allowance for drug cartels to operate freely.
He stated, “All the foreign policy apparatus thinks everything is Libya, everything is Iraq, and everything is Afghanistan. This is not the Middle East, and our mission here is entirely different.”
Rubio added that the U.S. is facing not only the “Venezuelan regime” but also factors within the country that are considered a threat to U.S. national interests.
The remarks come in the context of recent warnings from Trump that if Delcy Rodríguez, the interim president of Venezuela, opposes Washington’s demands, she will face the same fate as Maduro.
Rubio: U.S. mission in Venezuela will be different from Afghanistan and Iraq
