Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that American officials will review every monthly budget submitted by Venezuela’s interim government before authorizing petroleum revenue releases during Senate testimony Wednesday. The comprehensive oversight mechanism ensures continuous American influence over governmental spending priorities.
The former Florida senator explained that Treasury Department personnel will examine budget submissions to verify appropriate allocations for essential services including law enforcement, healthcare, and infrastructure. He characterized monthly review cycles as providing regular opportunities to ensure compliance with American expectations.
Rubio suggested that consistent budget oversight prevents interim authorities from gradually shifting spending toward political patronage or authoritarian consolidation. He argued that monthly approval requirements maintain leverage ensuring sustained cooperation with democratic reform demands.
Democrats questioned whether such extensive ongoing oversight respects Venezuelan sovereignty or reduces interim government to subordinate status. They challenged whether monthly foreign approvals of national budgets constitute appropriate relationship or colonial-style economic control.
The hearing also addressed preferential energy sector access, mandatory American goods purchases, Cuban oil subsidy termination, and NATO alliance tensions. Rubio defended comprehensive oversight framework as necessary given Venezuela’s history of resource mismanagement.