InfoHub Logo

“This is OUR hemisphere” — a message posted by the U.S. State Department on X — drew scrutiny after a weekend operation in Venezuela ended with the detention of Nicolás Maduro. On 5 January, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the move was a cross‑border anti‑drug law‑enforcement action, not an act of war, arguing it was carried out to protect Americans.

This was reported by the Infohub.kz news agency.

What the X post said — and where it came from

On 5 January, the State Department’s official X account shared a post featuring President Donald Trump’s photo and the line: “This is OUR hemisphere, and the President will not allow threats to our security.” The department later clarified on its website that the phrasing echoed Rubio’s comments from multiple interviews on 4 January.

Rubio: law enforcement, not war

Speaking on NBC News’ Meet the Press, Rubio said the purpose of Saturday’s operation was to disrupt illegal drug flows to the United States. “Democracy and elections matter,” he said, “but we put the safety, well‑being and prosperity of Americans first.”

At a joint press conference later Saturday with the President and other administration officials, Rubio stressed, “The United States and Venezuela are not at war.” He said the operation targeted drug‑trafficking organizations and should be viewed as a law‑enforcement action. Officials did not disclose operational specifics; independent verification remained limited at the time of publication.

Debate over Congress’ role

According to CBS, lawmakers from both parties raised concerns about the operation’s costs and consequences, while several Democrats criticized the White House for not notifying Congress in advance. Rubio said the administration seeks approval for steps that legally require it, but maintained this mission did not. He added that presidents have carried out comparable missions over nearly 40 years.

Regional signals and Venezuela’s power struggle

Trump did not rule out a similar approach in Colombia and criticized Mexico’s anti‑narcotics efforts, according to the report. Inside Venezuela, tensions over succession escalated: on 5 January, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as interim president with the Supreme Court’s approval, the report said. Several U.S. Republican lawmakers urged transferring authority to opposition figures, including María Corina Machado.