Secretary of State Marco Rubio despatched a stark message to the Venezuelan ally following the arrest of President Nicolas Maduro, who arrived in New York Metropolis
Marco Rubio refused to dismiss the chance that the Cuban communist regime might grow to be the Trump administration’s subsequent focus (Picture: Getty Photographs)
Secretary of State Marco Rubio refused to dismiss the chance that the Cuban communist regime might grow to be the Trump administration’s subsequent focus, simply at some point after Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro’s detention.
Rubio’s Sunday alert emerged simply hours after Maduro and his partner, Cilia Flores, touched down in New York Metropolis, the place they are going to confront prices for his or her purported involvement in a narco-terrorism conspiracy.
An indictment printed by the Division of Justice accused Maduro of spearheading a “corrupt, illegitimate authorities that, for many years, has leveraged authorities energy to guard and promote criminal activity, together with drug trafficking.” It additionally claims that the drug trafficking operations “enriched and entrenched Venezuela’s political and army elite.”
In an look on “Meet the Press,” Rubio issued a stark warning to the Cuban authorities, declaring “they’re in quite a lot of hassle. “Is the Cuban authorities the Trump administration’s subsequent goal,” journalist Kristen Welker enquired.
“Effectively, the Cuban authorities is a large downside. Yeah,” Rubio responded.
“Is {that a} sure?” Welker pressed.
“I believe they’re in quite a lot of hassle, sure,” Rubio confirmed.
Cuban ‘penetrated’ Venezuela
In one other interview, Rubio, whose mother and father fled Cuba, alleged that Venezuela’s intelligence service was “stuffed with Cubans,” and that “this poor island took over Venezuela.
“In some instances, one of many largest issues Venezuelans have is that they should declare independence from Cuba,” Rubio said from President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. “They tried to mainly colonize it from a safety standpoint. So, yeah, look, if I lived in Havana and I used to be within the authorities, I would be involved no less than a bit bit.”
At a Saturday information briefing, President Trump himself revealed that the U.S. was in search of to be surrounded by “good neighbors.”
“It’s extremely comparable within the sense that we need to assist the individuals in Cuba, however we need to additionally assist the people who find themselves compelled out of Cuba and residing on this nation,” the president declared.
Trump additionally branded the small island as a “failing nation” that’s “not doing very properly proper now.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks throughout a information convention with President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in Palm Seaside, Fla. (AP Picture/Alex Brandon) (Picture: AP)
Cuba denounces Trump’s assault
The Cuban authorities has but to difficulty a response to Rubio’s remarks.
However, as a steadfast ally to Maduro’s regime, Cuban officers have vehemently denounced the latest explosions and American operations in Caracas.
“All nations of the area should stay alert, because the risk hangs over all. In Cuba, our dedication to wrestle is agency and unwavering. The choice is one and just one: Homeland or Dying,” officers declared.
This screengrab taken from the X account of Fast Response 47, the official White Home fast response account, reveals Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (C) escorted by DEA brokers contained in the headquarters of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in decrease Manhattan, New York, on January 3, 2026. President Donald Trump mentioned January 3 that the US will “run” Venezuela and faucet its large oil reserves after seizing leftist chief Nicolas Maduro throughout a bombing raid on Caracas. Trump’s announcement got here hours after a lightning pre-dawn assault during which particular forces grabbed Maduro and his spouse — whereas air strikes pounded websites in and across the capital metropolis — then whisked him in a foreign country. (Picture by X account of Fast Response 47 / AFP through Getty Photographs) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – MANDATORY CREDIT “AFP PHOTO / X account of Fast Response 47” – HANDOUT – NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS (Picture: X account of Fast Response 47/A)
‘There is just one president’
Venezuela’s future hangs within the steadiness following these dramatic developments. In response to Venezuelan legislation, the nation’s vice chairman, Delcy Rodriguez, should step into Maduro’s position following his detention.
However, throughout a Saturday look, she insisted she wouldn’t tackle the presidency, earlier than Venezuela’s supreme courtroom mandated that she function interim chief. She has additionally referred to as upon the Trump administration to launch Maduro and Flores and ship them again to their homeland.
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“There is just one president in Venezuela,” Rodriguez mentioned, “and his identify is Nicolas Maduro Moros.”
On the identical time, President Trump declared that his administration would “run” Venezuela all through the transition, stating, “we will rebuild the oil infrastructure, which is able to price billions of {dollars}; will probably be paid for by the oil firms immediately. And we will get the oil flowing the best way it ought to be.”
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