FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The U.S. officials say was carrying drugs from Venezuela may have marked a stunning shift in the countries’ relations, but escalating pressure on the South American nation has defined much of quarter-century in politics.

top diplomat, a former Florida senator, has depicted Venezuela as a vestige of the communist ideology in the Western Hemisphere. Rubio has consistently pushed for the ouster of its leader, Nicolás Maduro, and even argued for American military intervention.

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