Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Venezuela’s interim government will submit monthly budgets to the White House for approval before accessing funds from a Qatar-managed account funded by oil sales, though Democrats questioned the plan’s legality and transparency.
Venezuela’s interim government has agreed to submit a monthly budget to the Trump administration for approval before accessing funds from an account funded by the country’s oil sales and initially managed by Qatar, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday. The plan drew sharp criticism from skeptical Democrats during Rubio’s Senate Foreign Relations Committee testimony, with lawmakers questioning Qatar’s role and whether Congress was properly consulted on the military operation that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on January 3.
Rubio conceded the arrangement was “novel” and hastily designed, assuring senators the administration has established “very respectful and productive line of communication” with Delcy Rodríguez’s government and does not “intend or expect” to use military force “at any time.” However, his written statement warned the United States was “prepared to use force to ensure maximum cooperation” from Rodríguez’s government “if other methods fail,” focusing largely on Venezuela’s lucrative oil industry that President Trump has previously said the United States will control.