WASHINGTON D.C January 28, 2026 – Secretary of State Marco Rubio articulated the United States’ ultimate objective for Venezuela as a “friendly, stable, prosperous” and fully democratic nation during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on U.S. policy toward the country.
The U.S. Department of State highlighted Rubio’s remarks in a video clip posted on X, quoting him: “The end state here is we want to reach a phase of transition where we are left with a friendly, stable, prosperous Venezuela.”
In the clip from the January 28 hearing, Rubio elaborated on the need for genuine democratic processes, stating that elections alone do not qualify as free and fair if opposition figures lack media access or are barred from the ballot. “You can have elections all day,” he said, “but if the opposition has no access to the media, if opposition candidates are routinely dismissed and unable to be on the ballot… those aren’t free and fair elections.”
Rubio’s testimony followed the recent U.S.-backed operation that resulted in the removal of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, which he described as necessary to address strategic threats. He noted Venezuela under Maduro had become a hemispheric base for adversaries including Iran, Russia, and China, while facilitating narcotrafficking networks impacting the region.
The Secretary emphasized three phased objectives: immediate stability (achieved by avoiding civil unrest through direct engagement with current Venezuelan authorities), economic recovery (including normalized oil production and a new hydrocarbon law opening the sector to private investment), and a longer-term transition to democracy with free elections and representation for all societal elements.
Rubio reported progress, including supervised oil sales to fund public needs like medicine and infrastructure, purchases of U.S. supplies, and the gradual release of political prisoners. “In three and a half, almost four weeks, we are much further along on this project than we thought we would be,” he told senators.
The hearing drew attention to the administration’s approach of working with remaining Venezuelan officials for stability, while pursuing democratic reforms. The State Department’s post has sparked widespread discussion on social media amid ongoing regional developments.
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