Rubio says Venezuela raid was justified

UNITED States Secretary of State Marco Rubio yesterday began his much-anticipated Congressional testimony about Venezuela, defending President Donald Trump administration's military operation to oust and arrest Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro earlier this month.

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Mr Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that Mr Trump had acted to take out a major US national security threat in its own hemisphere with the January 3 operation to depose Mr Maduro.

Mr Trump's top diplomat said America was safer and more secure as a result, and that the Republican administration would work with interim authorities to stabilise the South American country.