China was gaining strength from cheap oil, Rubio reveals reason behind US tough stance on Venezuela

Washington (The Uttam Hindu): US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that under the regime of Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela had turned into a strategic base for China, Russia, and Iran in the Western Hemisphere. Addressing lawmakers, Rubio stated that Beijing was securing Venezuelan oil at massive discounts and expanding its influence dangerously close to the United States and its neighboring regions.

Speaking during a hearing of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday, Rubio said, “Right in our neighborhood, there was a regime run by a narco-trafficker that became an operational hub for nearly every competitor, adversary, and enemy of the world.” He revealed that China was acquiring Venezuelan oil at discounts of nearly $20 per barrel. In several cases, China did not even pay in cash, instead adjusting the oil against Venezuela’s old debts.

Rubio emphasized that the oil belonged to the people of Venezuela but was being handed over to China through barter arrangements. He added that China, Russia, and Iran were all running their regional operations from Venezuelan soil, calling it a serious strategic threat to the United States. According to him, this threat was not located in a distant part of the world but within the same hemisphere.

The US Secretary of State said Washington’s actions against the Maduro government were aimed at ending this situation and regaining strategic control. He called the circumstances unacceptable and said corrective steps were necessary. Rubio claimed that US-led measures had significantly reduced China’s access to discounted Venezuelan oil. While China can still buy Venezuelan oil, it must now pay market prices, like any other country.

He further explained that revenues from sanctioned Venezuelan oil sales are now being placed under US monitoring. The funds will be deposited into supervised accounts and used for the benefit of the Venezuelan people.

Rubio also outlined China’s broader strategy in the Western Hemisphere, stating that it is driven not by ideology but by economic dominance. He said China has a strong interest in telecommunications, control over critical infrastructure, and access to key mineral resources. He accused Chinese companies of tightening their grip on countries through unfair deals and debt dependency.

According to Rubio, China’s influence in the region is gradually weakening. He cited Panama’s exit from the Belt and Road Initiative and shifting political trends in Latin America as signs of change. He concluded by saying that the US aim is to ensure Venezuela does not once again become a playground for China, Russia, and Iran in the region.