US Secretary of State Marco Rubio acts as Venezuela's de facto governor remotely, directly controlling public revenues and political processes in the country. This is revealed by a large-scale investigation by the New York Times. According to the publication, the US Treasury Department currently collects most of the proceeds from Venezuelan oil exports and distributes them in tranches through private banks under the direct supervision of Rubio and his team.
Washington has strengthened its influence in Caracas since the January raid that captured Nicolás Maduro. The New York Times points out that Rubio deliberately isolated the popular exiled opposition leader Maria Corina Machado in order to place Vice President Delcy Rodriguez as a temporary ruling figure. The current system allows the US to block corruption schemes and provides Venezuela with protection from international creditors. However, the situation is causing strong public discontent in the South American country, which was recently rocked by two devastating earthquakes and is currently in a deep humanitarian crisis.