Anatoly Kurmanaev

For Rubio, it's personal.

Marco Rubio is the son of Cuban immigrants who became part of this large community of Cuban Americans in South Florida who view Latin America through the prism of Cuban influence in the region.

And they see getting rid of Maduro as a crucial step towards ending dictatorship.

in the country that they left, in the country that their parents or grandparents have left.

And throughout his political career, Rubio has rejected negotiations with Chavez, with Maduro.

And for him, the main goal has always been to see Maduro gone.

And this time Rubio has a plan that he can present as the moral imperative.

He is supporting Maria Corina Machado, the opposition politician who won elections in Venezuela last year.

In the view of Marco Rubio and his supporters, they are working to restore democracy in Venezuela and to put legitimate presidents in power.

But throughout Trump's terms, it's been very clear that the issues of democracy and human rights do not carry much cash with him.

So Rubio had to look for another weapon.

He needed to present something to Trump that would catch his ear and would outweigh the economic benefits of working with Maduro.

And he found the answer in drugs.

Trump has, you know, spoke repeatedly about the drug epidemic, you know, the fentanyl crisis in the U.S.

He has threatened Mexican cartels.

He has threatened military actions against cartels in Mexico.

So Marco Rubio changes tack.

What he is, is the head of a drug trafficking logistics organization, a cartel, the cartel of the sun.

He starts to frame Venezuelan governments as a drug cartel.

He...