US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno to discuss the Venezuela situation following the military operation that led to President Nicolás Maduro's capture. Rubio thanked Argentina for its cooperation in combating narcoterrorism and bolstering regional security. The call took place amid Argentina's public support for the US operation, though with discrepancies in views on Venezuela's political transition.
On January 6, 2026, Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State under Donald Trump's administration, held a phone conversation with Pablo Quirno, Argentina's Foreign Minister. The discussion focused on the recent attack in Venezuela on January 3, which resulted in Nicolás Maduro's capture and his transfer to the United States for trial on narcotrafficking charges in New York.
According to the State Department, Rubio expressed thanks for "Argentina's continued cooperation to combat narcoterrorism and strengthen security in our region." This call occurred amid Operation Resolución Absoluta, a US military action that has sparked international divisions and left Venezuela on the brink of institutional collapse.
Argentina's government, led by Javier Milei, issued a statement hours after the operation, praising the "decision and determination" of the United States and labeling Maduro as head of the Cartel de los Soles, an organization Argentina declared terrorist in August 2025. The text voiced hopes that the events would allow Venezuela's people to regain full democracy, supporting opposition figures like María Corina Machado, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, and Edmundo González Urrutia.
However, contradictions emerged: Trump publicly dismissed Machado, calling her a leader without respect in her country, and the transition fell to interim President Delcy Rodríguez. Diplomatic sources indicated that the US is negotiating directly with chavismo sectors for controlled institutional continuity.
Analysis in Foreign Affairs by Juan S. González outlines three transition scenarios: a peaceful one with security guarantees, a criminalized continuity preserving coercive structures, or an escalation trapping Washington in prolonged commitments. The call between Rubio and Quirno underscores the strategic alliance between the two governments, framed in Trump's security doctrine prioritizing Latin America against Chinese and Russian influences.
