Washington, Jan 4 : US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday said expectations of an immediate democratic transition in Venezuela are unrealistic, cautioning against demands for instant elections following the arrest of Nicolás Maduro.

Speaking on CBS' Face the Nation, Rubio said comparisons with past US interventions were misplaced. â??People analyse everything through the lens of Iraq, Libya, and Afghanistan,â?? he said. â??This is not the Middle East.â??

Rubio said Washingtonâ??s focus in Venezuela is centred on addressing security threats in the Western Hemisphere. â??We have a country that has cozied itself up to Iran,â?? he said, adding that criminal groups have been allowed to operate freely from Venezuelan territory.

He acknowledged the role of opposition figures in the country. â??I have tremendous admiration for María Corina Machado,â?? the top American diplomat said, also praising Edmundo González.

However, Rubio said immediate political change was not realistic. â??Everyoneâ??s asking why 24 hours after Nicolas Maduro was arrested, there isnâ??t an election scheduled for tomorrow,â?? he said. â??Thatâ??s absurd.â??

â??These things take time,â?? Rubio added. â??Thereâ??s a process.â??

Asked whether Venezuelaâ??s emerging leadership had committed to democratic principles, Rubio declined to provide details. â??Iâ??m not going to publicly get into details about any of those things,â?? he said.

He said Washington would judge leaders by their actions rather than assurances. â??We are going to make our assessments on the basis of what they do,â?? Rubio said.

Rubio emphasised that the United States continues to retain leverage. â??If they donâ??t make the right decisions, the United States will retain multiple levers of leverage,â?? he said.

He rejected suggestions that oil interests were driving US policy. â??Thatâ??s not what happened here,â?? Rubio said. â??We arrested a narco trafficker.â??

At the same time, Rubio said oil remains central to Venezuelaâ??s future economic recovery. â??Their oil industry is completely destroyed,â?? he said. â??They need investment.â??

He added that oil wealth must ultimately benefit the population. â??Right now, all of that wealth is stolen,â?? Rubio said.

Rubio warned that Washington would not tolerate the presence of hostile actors in the region. â??We are not going to have a country like Venezuela in our own hemisphere,â?? he said, â??at the crossroads for Hezbollah and Iran.â??

The top American diplomat said the Trump administrationâ??s approach would be guided by national interest and gradual change.

â??We want Venezuela to transition to be a place completely different than what it looks like today,â?? Rubio said.

/IANS