Rubio outlines three-phase US plan for Venezuela, no early elections

Washington: The Trump administration has laid out a three-phase roadmap for Venezuela — stabilisation, recovery, and transition — signalling that US involvement will be prolonged, and that elections are not expected in the near term, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.

Rubio told reporters that the first phase focuses on preventing chaos following the removal of Nicolas Maduro. Central to that effort, he said, is Washington’s control over Venezuelan oil exports through sanctions enforcement and a naval quarantine.

“Step one is the stabilisation of the country,” Rubio said, adding that the United States believes it now has the strongest leverage possible over Venezuela’s interim authorities.

The second phase, recovery, will involve reopening Venezuela’s economy to American, Western, and other approved companies. Rubio said this phase includes rebuilding infrastructure, repairing the electricity grid, and creating conditions for economic growth.

He said reconciliation efforts would also be part of recovery, including the release or amnesty of opposition figures and the return of Venezuelans who fled the country.

It is only in the third phase that the country would move toward a political transition, he said. Declining to provide a timeline, he said expectations of rapid change were unrealistic.

“It’s been just a few days,” he said, noting that years of institutional decay cannot be reversed overnight.

For India, the phased approach matters because it signals the US’s long-term engagement in shaping Venezuela’s economic future. That engagement could affect global oil supply for years, influencing markets on which India relies heavily.

Responding to questions, Rubio said the phases will overlap and evolve, stressing that Washington intends to move forward “in a very positive way”. He rejected criticism from lawmakers who accused the administration of improvisation.

“We’re not just winging it,” Rubio said, adding that detailed planning has already been shared with Congress.

House Democrats have said the administration has offered “12 plans” but no concrete guarantees about Venezuela’s political future. The administration insists that forcing early elections could destabilise the country. Rubio said stabilisation and recovery must come first.

The plan reflects a broader US trend of using economic leverage — particularly energy control — rather than immediate political restructuring. The strategy also underscores Washington’s intent to counter China’s influence in Latin America.

IANS