Venezuela lashed out at US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, branding him a “pathetic obsessed man” after he labelled Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela as “enemies of humanity” and blamed them for the ongoing migration crisis in the region.

Foreign Minister Yván Gil on February 4 dismissed Rubio’s remarks as an indication of deep-seated hostility, suggesting that the US official “cannot sleep without thinking about Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.”, Efecto Cocuyo reported.  

He accused Rubio of waging an ongoing campaign of sanctions and aggression, yet failing to undermine these nations, which, he argued, had repeatedly resisted external pressure “with dignity and firmness.”

Gil went on to say that the real “enemies of humanity” were those who had, for decades, used military power and economic coercion to sow chaos and suffering across the world. 

According to him, Rubio finds it intolerable that these sovereign nations refuse to budge to Washington’s dictates, insisting that Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela remain steadfast in their defiance.

The Secretary had earlier argued that without these three governments, the hemisphere would not be facing its current migration crisis. He described Nicaragua as a “family dynasty” under the Ortega-Murillo presidential couple who had sought to eradicate the Catholic Church and other perceived threats to their rule. 

He also accused the government of suppressing dissent, forcing thousands to flee—a phenomenon he likened to the exodus from Venezuela and Cuba. Rubio is the first Latino to serve as America's top diplomat and is known for his hawkish stance against socialist regimes in the region such as Cuba, from where he originates.

The escalating rhetoric comes just days after Venezuela released six detained US citizens, who returned home alongside former Trump administration official Richard Grenell. 

The special envoy had travelled to Caracas for talks with President Nicolás Maduro, securing the prisoners' release and inking a deal for the deportation of illegal migrants from the United States, including individuals linked to criminal groups such as the Tren de Aragua.

However, Rubio on February 3 dismissed any possibility of the US recognising Maduro as Venezuela's legitimate leader, warning that the Trump administration is prepared to take action against what it considers a dictatorship engaged in electoral fraud and political repression.

This is not the first time Gil has condemned Rubio’s stance on Venezuela. Last month, he slammed the US Secretary of State as an “enemy” of the country, accusing him of harbouring an unhealthy fixation on destabilising the nation. 

The Venezuelan minister’s rebuke followed Rubio’s vocal support for Guyanese President Irfaan Ali in his territorial dispute with Maduro’s regime over the Essequibo region, which the US has criticised as provocative and disruptive.

Meanwhile, US oil firm Chevron Corp., which operates a number of joint ventures with Venezuela’s PDVSA under ad-hoc waivers granted by the Biden administration, is reportedly lobbying the White House as pressure mounts from Republican lawmakers to revoke its licence to operate in the oil-rich nation.

Chief Executive Mike Wirth confirmed that the company remains in contact with officials in Washington, working to align its operations with US policy objectives.

As the only major oil company permitted to operate in Venezuela under a US licence, Chevron plays a critical role in the country’s energy sector, accounting for roughly 20% of its oil output.

The US refiner's controversial involvement has contributed to Venezuela reaching a five-year high in exports in 2024, edging closer to Nicolás Maduro’s target of 1mn barrels per day.

Chevron raised eyebrows last month when Bloomberg reported the company had filed about $300m in tax returns to Venezuelan authorities in 2024, despite restrictions on payments to state entities under US sanctions.

These payments could prove contentious as General License 41, issued by the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control in November 2022, prohibits tax, royalty or dividend payments to PDVSA or other state-controlled entities.