Cuba's Granma newspaper labeled the Trump administration's operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as a 28-week interventionist campaign led by Marco Rubio, citing alleged military aggressions and violations of international law, following Rubio's earlier defense of the action.
Cuba's state-run Granma newspaper, in an article dated January 7, 2026, accused Senator Marco Rubio—alongside national security advisor Stephen Miller and CIA director John Ratcliffe—of directing a Trump administration plan to overthrow Nicolás Maduro, who was captured by US forces on January 3 during a raid on Venezuela's largest military base. Granma cited reports from The New York Times and highlighted Rubio's past associations.
The outlet described the operation as preceded by 28 weeks of military blockade, including ship bombings, tanker hijackings, and a naval siege with aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines, and battleships. Regional military bases were reportedly activated via pressure.
Granma claimed objectives included seizing Venezuelan oil reserves, establishing a US-dominated neo-colony, capturing Maduro as Hugo Chávez's successor, and suppressing independence ideals. It alleged deployment of over 200 special forces, supported by intelligence, more than 150 aircraft (F-35s, F-22s, B-1 bombers, drones), and naval assets near Venezuela, framed as a NATO-style intimidation using AI-enabled strikes.
This denunciation contrasts with Secretary of State Rubio's January 7 defense, where he rejected improvisation claims, affirmed pre-planning with congressional briefings, and emphasized oil sanctions leverage over PDVSA amid subdued global reactions.