‘This Is Our Backyard’: Marco Rubio on Why Russia, China and Iran Can’t Have Venezuelan Oil

In a blistering defence of the recent US military operation in Venezuela that has shaken the world, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has sent a clear message to Russia, China and Iran, effectively telling the global powers to 'get out' of the Western Hemisphere.

Rubio, who has emerged as one of the most important US officials following the capture of Nicolas Maduro, was speaking to NBC News, just a day after the Venezuelan leader was brought to New York to face drug trafficking charges.

The entire operation, which President Donald Trump has hailed as a modernisation of the Monroe Doctrine, has drawn sharp criticism from some of US' biggest global adversaries in China, Russia and Iran.

However, amid criticism from these global powers, Rubio claimed the operation from the US military was not simply a law enforcement action but a necessary step to purge foreign influence from Washington's backyard.

"You have to understand – why does China need their oil? Why does Russia need their oil? They're not even in this continent. This is the Western Hemisphere," Rubio told NBC News.

"What we're not going to allow is for the oil industry in Venezuela to be controlled by adversaries of the United States," Rubio added. "They're not going to do it in the Western Hemisphere."

The US Secretary of State went on to argue that Venezuela had become an operating hub for Russia, Iran and Hezbollah. He accused these nations of using Venezela's vast oil reserves to finance activities that destabilised the region.

"Western Hemisphere is ours, and no one from outside our hemisphere is allowed in America's backyard," Rubio concluded.