Bloomberg: Venezuela possibly to be "run" by US Secretary Rubio

As the world cautiously awaits the direction in which the latest events in Venezuela will develop, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is reportedly tipped to take on the temporary role of leading the country's administration.

This prediction was voiced by an unnamed US official cited in a recent Bloomberg article on January 4, Caliber.Az reports.

It comes shortly after US President Donald Trump announced during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida that the US plans to “run” Venezuela for now. 

"We will run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition," Trump said on January 3. "We can't take a chance that someone else takes over Venezuela who doesn't have the interests of Venezuelans in mind."

Born in the US to Cuban immigrants, Rubio has been openly voicing his criticism of Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chavez, throughout most of his career. 

The US Secretary has been actively involved in shaping US policy toward Latin American countries, dating back to his 14-year run in the US Senate representing the State of Florida. No official comments have yet been made by Rubio himself or by representatives of the Venezuelan leadership.

While the article notes that the White House has, so far, offered few details about what "running" Venezuela would entail, Trump signalled in his previous statements that he’s keenly focused on the country’s petroleum industry.

His remark that the US would have a “presence in Venezuela as it pertains to oil” indicates that US oil giant Chevron Corp., which still operates in Venezuela under waivers from sanctions, will be given a greater role in this transition process.

By Nazrin Sadigova