Rubio says Venezuela will ultimately need transition phase, free elections

By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON, March ‌31 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary ​of ​State Marco Rubio on Tuesday said there will have to be a transition phase in Venezuela and the country will need ‌free and fair elections, though he added that there needs to ⁠be patience until that point is reached.

"Ultimately, there will have to be a transition ‌phase," Rubio said in an ‌interview on Fox News Channel's "Hannity" show. "There will have to be free and fair elections in Venezuela. And that point has to come."

"We have to ​be patient, but we also can't be complacent."

The U.S. military seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a deadly raid in January that was ⁠ordered by President Donald Trump. The United Nations' human rights office has said the raid was a ​violation of international law.

At the time, Trump said Washington would "run" Venezuela. Maduro's former vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, subsequently took over ​and has been governing the country under ‌U.S. oversight.

Following U.S. moves in Venezuela, Trump has talked of acting against Cuba and pressuring its leadership.

Rubio said in Tuesday's ⁠interview that Cuba needed economic and political reforms and Washington would soon have more news on that country.

"So I think Cuba is in need of two things, ⁠economic reforms and political reforms, you cannot fix their economy if you don't change their ​system of government," Rubio said.

The U.S. cut off Venezuela's oil exports to Cuba after toppling Maduro in early January and Trump threatened to apply punishing tariffs on any ‌other country that sent crude to Cuba.

Cuba's energy crisis has caused blackouts across the country of 10 million. Health ‌officials say the crisis has increased the mortality risk for cancer patients, especially ⁠children.

Human rights experts say Trump's focus ‌on exploiting Venezuelan oil ​and his threats against Cuba echoed an imperialist approach.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Ismail Shakil; Editing by Himani Sarkar and ‌Thomas Derpinghaus)

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