Cong questions Rubio’s remarks on Venezuela visit, links it to India’s Foreign policy messaging

‎‎Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Friday took a swipe at the government over comments made by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding a proposed visit to India by the Venezuelan leadership, alleging a pattern of Washington announcing developments linked to Indian diplomacy before New Delhi itself.
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‎In a post on social media platform X, Ramesh recalled that Rubio had been the first to publicly announce the halt to Operation Sindoor on May 10, 2025. “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,” Ramesh said.
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‎He further claimed that Rubio had once again pre-empted Indian authorities by revealing that the President of Venezuela would be travelling to India next week. “Yesterday, 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,” the Congress leader wrote.
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‎Ramesh said the Venezuelan leader had been expected to attend the launch of the International Big Cat Alliance in New Delhi, but added that the event had now been postponed because of the Ebola outbreak in parts of Africa. “What else does the US Secretary of State have in store for Indian foreign policy?” he asked.
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‎Rubio had earlier indicated that Venezuelan interim president Delcy Rodriguez would visit India while speaking about energy ties between Washington and New Delhi, an announcement that came before any formal statement from either India or Venezuela.
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‎The proposed visit was reportedly linked to the first summit of the International Big Cat Alliance, a conservation initiative launched by India in 2023 to protect seven major big cat species globally.
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‎The summit, along with the India-Africa Forum Summit, has since been deferred following concerns over a fresh Ebola outbreak in parts of Africa. The Ministry of External Affairs and the African union said the meetings would be rescheduled after consultations on the evolving health situation.
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‎Ramesh’s remarks also revived the Opposition’s criticism of the government’s handling of Operation Sindoor and the subsequent ceasefire announcement. Congress leaders have repeatedly questioned why the first public indication of a halt in hostilities came from Washington rather than New Delhi.