Many members of Senate Foreign Affairs committee have wanted an opportunity to question the US Secretary of State on Venezuela for some time.
They have called for a hearing since well before the unprecedented US airstrikes on Caracas and the removal of Nicolás Maduro from power in the early hours of 3 January. Wednesday, their wish was fulfilled.
"Finally, a public hearing," said Tim Kaine of Viriginia, a Democrat, before launching into a recap of how the Trump Administration had reached this point on Venezuela, where Maduro is now in a US jail and the country is being led by Interim President Delcy Rodriguez.
Kaine pointed out that the first US strike on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean took place on 2 September 2025 – some five months ago – and lamented the fact that the discussions about the legality of those strikes had been classified and took place behind closed doors.
However, this hearing was primarily about the events of this year – when Delta Force troops forcibly removed Maduro from Venezuelan soil in his pyjamas to face drug trafficking charges in New York.
