Congress's Jairam Ramesh slammed US Secretary Marco Rubio for announcing the Venezuelan President's India visit before any official word. The visit, for the now-postponed IBCA summit, has sparked questions on US influence on India's foreign policy.
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Friday expressed his frustration over the South Block's agenda being disseminated from Washington's podiums after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio bypassed traditional diplomatic protocol, confirming the state visit of the Venezuelan President to India before a formal announcement could be issued by either capital. In a post on X, he said that this "Rubio-led leak" is not merely an annoyance but a symptom of a larger, worrying trend.
Ramesh Questions US Influence After Diplomatic Breach
"At 5:37 PM on May 10, 2025, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was the first to announce the halt to Operation Sindoor. Yesterday, Mr. Rubio was again the very first to announce that the President of Venezuela would be visiting India next week. This was even before India and Venezuela had even hinted or confirmed the news," said Ramesh.
The visit, intended to anchor the Venezuelan head of state as a guest of honour for the inaugural International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) summit, has now been rendered moot. The environment ministry confirmed late Thursday that the June 1-2 summit has been postponed indefinitely, citing the rapid escalation of a Bundibugyo virus (Ebola) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. The decision, taken in consultation with the African Union, reflects a stark reality: the global health crisis has effectively grounded the summit's high-level participants.
"It turns out that the President of Venezuela was expected to attend the launch of the International Big Cat Alliance in New Delhi next week. However, this has since been postponed because of the outbreak of the Ebola virus in Africa," said Ramesh.
Expressing suspicion over the timing and nature of the announcement, the senior leader questioned the extent of the USA's on India's foreign policy. "What else does the US Secretary of State have in store for Indian foreign policy?" said Ramesh.
Rubio Outlines Energy Cooperation Ahead of India Trip
Ramesh's remarks came after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Washington is actively seeking to broaden energy cooperation with New Delhi. Rubio also confirmed that this strategic partnership would be a focal point during his upcoming official visit to India. The high-profile itinerary will see Rubio travelling across major Indian cities, including Kolkata, Agra, Jaipur, and New Delhi, from May 23 to 26.
Lauding India's pivotal position on the global stage, the top US diplomat expressed strong enthusiasm for expanding bilateral trade ties. "Well, we want to sell them as much energy as they'll buy. And obviously, you've seen I think we're at historic levels of US production, and US export," Rubio told reporters in Miami as he embarked on the trip to Sweden and India.
Hence, in reflection of India's growing diplomatic centrality and its key role in navigating complex global energy dynamics, Rubio shared that the acting President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, was also scheduled to visit India next week, opening up new avenues of collaboration. "In fact, it's my understanding that the interim president of Venezuela will be travelling to India next week as well. So, there are opportunities. There's a lot to work on with India," Rubio observed.
Additionally, the Secretary of State underlined Washington's keenness to strengthen India's energy security portfolio through diverse international channels, acknowledging New Delhi's proactive management of global energy pressures resulting from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. "We want to be able to do more. We were already in talks with them to do more. We want them to be a bigger part of their portfolio. We also think there are opportunities with Venezuelan oil," Rubio stated.
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