At a Caribbean summit held in Saint Kitts and Nevis, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared the importance of freedom and democracy for Venezuela's future development. He stated that to truly harness the country's wealth for the benefit of its citizens, Venezuela needs the legitimacy that comes from fair democratic elections. This addresses the political turmoil that has gripped the nation, particularly following the ousting of former president Nicolás Maduro at the beginning of January by the U.S.