WASHINGTON: Secretary of State Marco Rubio was expected to warn Wednesday that oil-rich Venezuela’s leader will suffer the fate of US-deposed predecessor Nicolas Maduro if she fails to comply with US wishes.
Delcy Rodriguez, who was vice president and now acting president, “is well aware of the fate of Maduro,” Rubio would tell the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, according to prepared testimony.
“It is our belief that her own self-interest aligns with advancing our key objectives,” Rubio was to say.
“Make no mistake, as the president has stated, we are prepared to use force to ensure maximum cooperation if other methods fail,” he said in the prepared testimony, referring to President Donald Trump.
Rubio, a former senator, agreed to testify before the committee after weeks of Democrats accusing the Trump administration of both deceiving lawmakers and exceeding its authority by using force.
