Sen. Rick Scott Discusses Next Steps for Venezuela, Cuba with Sec. Marco Rubio at Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the State Department's annual budget request, Senator Rick Scott asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the administration's plans regarding the indictments of Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro and Cuba's Raúl Castro.

"I want to commend Secretary Rubio's leadership in Latin America and his work to clean up our hemisphere, including bringing Maduro to justice and holding Delcy Rodríguez accountable," said Senator Scott.

"Raúl Castro's indictment sparked renewed hope for a free Cuba with government accountability, improved economic conditions, and political freedom. It also sent a message to the world: America will not allow an adversarial regime just 90 miles off our shores."

Senator Scott has been a vocal supporter of a free Cuba. In February 2025, he reintroduced the Denying Earnings to the Military Oligarchy in Cuba and Restricting Activities of the Cuban Intelligence Apparatus (DEMOCRACIA) Act to hold the illegitimate communist Cuban regime accountable through severe sanctions and unprecedented financial pressure. Senator Scott led this legislation with Secretary of State Marco Rubio last Congress.

Senator Scott has long led efforts in Congress to hold the Maduro regime accountable and confront the threats posed by its criminal and terrorist networks, including championing the designation of Venezuela's Cartel de los Soles and Tren de Aragua as a Foreign Terrorist Organizations. Senator Scott has also consistently called for maximum pressure against Nicolás Maduro, Delcy Rodríguez and other regime officials, supported Venezuela's democratic opposition, advocated for the unconditional release of political prisoners, and sounded the alarm on the Maduro regime's alliances with Iran, Cuba, China and transnational criminal organizations that threaten U.S. national security.

HIGHLIGHTS

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO AMERICA THAT THE IRANIAN REGIME DOESN'T GET A NUCLEAR WEAPON?

Secretary Rubio said, "If the Strait gives them leverage, imagine what nuclear weapons would give them leverage to do… That is the leverage that they were trying to build. If they ever got a nuclear weapon, not only would they have a nuclear weapon, not only would they control the straits, they would be able to act with impunity, because you wouldn't be able to touch them, you wouldn't be able to do anything about them."

WHERE ARE WE IN THE PROCESS TO ESTABLISH DEMOCRACY IN VENEZUELA?

"It's been five months, and I think Venezuela is in a better place today, and in a better trajectory today than it was five months ago. Now, is it where it needs to be? Is it where it needs to ultimately wind up? The answer is, of course, no. Ultimately, in order to truly transition, they have to have multi-party, free, and fair election," said Secretary Rubio.

"The Venezuelans there now, under the interim authorities, [do] not pose the threat to the United States that [they] posed five months ago when it was an open base of operation for Iranian operatives, for Cuban intelligence, and for others who used it as a base of operation against the national interests, but we have a lot of work to do. We are nowhere near where we want to get to."

WHAT'S THE STATUS OF OUR RELATIONS WITH CUBA POST-MADURO INDICTMENT?

Secretary Rubio said, "The fundamental challenge we have here is… in order for [Cuba] not to continue to be a failed state, which poses a threat to the United States, they need systemic and serious reform. They need to have economic reforms, and the question is, can they possibly reform, given the people who are currently in charge, both of GAESA and of their government? And I think the answer is, they can. I really don't believe this system is capable of reform unless new people take over or a new mindset takes hold."

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