A major investigation published by The New York Times on Friday reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has become the de facto power broker of Venezuela, exercising sweeping control over the country's finances, natural resources and government six months after the American operation that captured former President Nicolas Maduro.
The report, by reporters Tyler Pager and Anatoly Kurmanaev, was based on interviews with more than a dozen officials and people close to both governments in Washington and Caracas, many of whom spoke on condition of anonymity to describe private interactions and internal discussions. According to the report, President Trump once suggested in the Oval Office that Rubio be sent to Caracas permanently to lead the country, a remark aides described as a joke, though the report noted that Rubio does not need to relocate since he effectively runs Venezuela from Washington already. The Times compared his degree of control to that of American diplomat Paul Bremer, who administered Iraq after the 2003 U.S. invasion.
Under the arrangement described in the report, the U.S. Treasury Department takes in the bulk of the revenue from Venezuela's oil exports and gradually disburses funds back to the country through private banks, subject to conditions set by Rubio and his team.
Interim Venezuelan leader Delcy Rodriguez, who served as Maduro's vice president before assuming power on an acting basis with American backing, is required to submit monthly budget requests to Washington in order to access the funds, and the money cannot go directly to Venezuela's state oil company or to sanctioned entities. Additional reporting cited by outlets covering the investigation indicated the relationship between Rubio and Rodriguez began in early January, when Rubio reportedly gave her an ultimatum to cooperate with the United States or face military strikes on Venezuelan infrastructure and officials, after which she chose cooperation.
The Times report said Rubio and Rodriguez remain in frequent direct contact over WhatsApp, communicating in Spanish and exchanging birthday greetings, gossip and selfies alongside substantive discussions. According to the report, Rubio also weighs in on Venezuelan government appointments and has influence over the country's public statements, including social media posts. One episode cited involved Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil, who deleted a social media post criticizing a U.S. strike on Iran after the Trump administration objected.
The report also noted that opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, seen as Venezuela's most popular opposition figure, has been sidelined from the process out of concern that her involvement could destabilize the country's military and security establishment. Asked by the Times in May about a timeline for elections, Rodriguez reportedly said she did not know, and the report concluded that such decisions ultimately rest with Rubio rather than with her.
The arrangement has drawn criticism from experts who called the scope of Rubio's control over a foreign government unusual and difficult to reconcile with traditional notions of sovereignty, while the administration has defended the system as necessary to stabilize Venezuela and prevent state collapse following Maduro's removal.
