Senator Marco Rubio recently addressed fears that the United States might find itself entangled in a lengthy foreign intervention or unsuccessful nation-building effort in Venezuela, following its decisive actions aimed at regime change.

During an appearance on CBS’ Face the Nation, Rubio clarified, “This is the kind of control the president references when discussing these matters.”

He elaborated, “Our quarantine continues, and we anticipate changes not only in how Venezuela’s oil industry operates to benefit its citizens but also in halting drug trafficking activities.”

The senator noted that the blockade against sanctioned oil tankers—some of which the U.S. has seized—remains active. He emphasized, “This blockade offers significant leverage that will persist until we witness changes that serve the national interests of the United States, which is our primary concern, and also pave the way for a better future for Venezuelans.”

In a surprising shift, Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, extended an invitation to President Trump to “collaborate” and expressed a desire for “respectful relations,” a notably softer stance compared to her previous rhetoric.

“We invite the US government to collaborate with us on an agenda of cooperation oriented towards shared development within the framework of international law to strengthen lasting community coexistence,” Rodriguez wrote in an online post.

She had delivered speeches projecting fierce defiance to the Trump administration earlier in the weekend and called for the US to release Maduro.

But her statement in English on her Instagram account marked a dramatic shift in tone.

Even before the operation that nabbed Maduro, experts questioned the legality of aspects of the Trump administration’s pressure campaign on Maduro, including the deadly bombing of boats accused of trafficking drugs that some scholars said stretched the boundaries of international law.

Cuba on Sunday night announced that 32 Cuban security officers were killed in the US operation in Venezuela, which Trump acknowledged: “You know, a lot of Cubans were killed yesterday.”

“There was a lot of death on the other side,” Trump said aboard Air Force One as he flew back to Washington from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. “No death on our side.”

Trump still says US will ‘run’ Venezuela

The president’s vow, repeated more than half a dozen times at a Florida news conference on Saturday, sparked concerns among some Democrats.

It also drew unease from parts of his own Republican coalition, including an “America First” base that is opposed to foreign interventions, and from observers who recalled past nation-building efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Rubio dismissed such criticism, saying Trump’s intent had been misunderstood.

“The whole foreign policy apparatus thinks everything is Libya, everything is Iraq, everything is Afghanistan,” Rubio said.

“This is not the Middle East. And our mission here is very different. This is the Western Hemisphere.”

He also suggested the US would give Maduro’s subordinates now in charge time to govern, saying, “We’re going to judge everything by what they do.”

Though he did not rule out boots on the ground in Venezuela, Rubio said the US, which has built up its presence in the region, was already capable of stopping alleged drug boats and sanctioned tankers.

He later pointed to his national security team with him, including Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and said it would be done for a period of time by “the people that are standing right behind me. We’re gonna be running it, we’re gonna be bringing it back.”

Despite Rubio’s seeking to tamp down that notion, Trump reiterated on Sunday that the US would control Venezuela, saying, “We’re going to run everything.”

“We’re going to run it, fix it,” he said on Sunday.

He added, “We’ll have elections at the right time” but didn’t say when that might be.

Maduro due in court on Monday

A middle-of-the-night operation extracted Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from their home in a military base in the capital city of Caracas — an act Maduro’s government called “imperialist.”

The couple faces US charges of participating in a narco-terrorism conspiracy.

The dramatic seizure capped an intensive Trump administration pressure campaign on Venezuela’s autocratic leader and months of secret planning, resulting in the most assertive American action to achieve regime change since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Legal experts raised questions about the lawfulness of the operation, which was done without congressional approval.

Rodrígue has called Maduro the country’s rightful leader, even as her nation’s high court named her interim president.

So did Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López, who said the country’s armed forces “categorically reject the cowardly kidnapping” and will “maintain internal order and peace.”

Asked about Rodríguez comments in which she stands by Maduro, Trump said, “I don’t think it’s pushback” and suggested her calling what occurred a kidnapping of Maduro wasn’t “a bad term.”

Maduro is due to make his first appearance on Monday in Manhattan’s federal court.

He and other Venezuelan officials were indicted in 2020 on narco-terrorism conspiracy charges, and the Justice Department released a new indictment on Saturday of Maduro and his wife that painted his administration as a “corrupt, illegitimate government” fueled by a drug-trafficking operation that flooded the US with cocaine.

The US government does not recognise Maduro as the country’s leader.

Quiet falls in Venezuela after US operation

Venezuela’s government kept operating as usual over the weekend as ministers remained in their posts.

The capital was unusually quiet Sunday with few vehicles moving around and convenience stores, gas stations and other businesses closed.

Maduro’s son, lawmaker Nicolás Ernesto Guerra, has not appeared in public since the attack. On Saturday, he posted on Instagram a government statement repudiating the capture of his father and stepmother.

The country’s incoming National Assembly is set to be sworn in at the legislative palace in Caracas. The unicameral assembly will remain under control of the ruling party.

Under Venezuelan law, Rodríguez would take over from Maduro. Rodriguez stressed during a Saturday appearance on state television that she did not plan to assume power, before Venezuela’s high court ordered that she assume the interim role.

Trump told The Atlantic in an interview on Sunday that Rodríguez could “pay a very big price” if she doesn’t do what he thinks is right for Venezuela. Speaking to reporters later, Trump said Rodríguez is “cooperating” but reiterated the threat. He said he wanted her to provide “total access,” from major oil operations to basic infrastructure like roads, so all can be rebuilt.

His warning contrasted with his comments about Rodríguez on Saturday when he said Rubio had spoken with her and she was willing to do what the US thinks is needed to improve the standard of living in Venezuela.