US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on NBC News that the Cuban authorities were “in great danger” after the capture of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela as a result of a US military operation.
Rubio declined to specify Washington’s next steps towards Havana, but emphasised that the US was “hostile to the Cuban regime”, which he said supported Maduro.
“I don’t think it’s a secret: we are not big supporters of the Cuban regime, which, by the way, is exactly what kept Maduro in power “, the secretary of state stated.
He also noted that the Cuban intelligence services played a key role in the Venezuelan leader’s security system. According to Rubio, Maduro was guarded not by Venezuelans, but by Cuban security forces, who were also responsible for domestic intelligence.
The day before, Rubio and US President Donald Trump had already signalled that the administration might consider further action against the Cuban leadership. In particular, the Secretary of State said that” if he were officials in Havana, he would be concerned.
President Trump, for his part, compared the situation in Cuba to Venezuela, calling the island nation “a nation in serious collapse” and stated his intention to “help the Cuban people.”
Cuban authorities sharply condemned the US actions in Venezuela, calling them an act of “state terrorism” and reiterated their full support for the Venezuelan government.
Maduro, captured along with his wife Celia Flores in a US operation in January, was taken to New York to face drug trafficking charges. Maduro and Flores are currently in custody.
A federal judge in New York released a new indictment charging Maduro, his wife and four others with four counts, including “narco-terrorism” and conspiracy to import cocaine.
Hours after the operation, Trump said the US would govern Venezuela until there is an orderly transfer of power. He did not specify exactly how that would take place.