Claiming that American leadership is back in the Western Hemisphere, new U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday that President Donald J. Trump is paying closer to the Caribbean and other regional countries in his foreign policy agenda.
“And we’re ready to stand with our regional partners,” said Rubio, a former US senator who was born in Miami to Cuban immigrants, in a Feb. 1 statement. “Putting America First means paying closer attention to our own hemisphere.”
Over the weekend, Rubio – who headed to Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic – said that “focusing on mutual priorities will bolster stability, security, and prosperity at home and in our region.”
“American foreign policy has too long focused on other regions while overlooking our own, missing opportunities and neglecting partners and friends,” he said. “That ends now.”
“We need to work with countries across our region to stop further migrant flows and to repatriate all those who are in the United States illegally,” Rubio added. “These conversations may not always be easy, but they are necessary.”
He said Trump “envisions a prosperous Western Hemisphere full of opportunities” and that “all stand to benefit tremendously from greater cooperation with the United States.”
“COVID exposed the fragility of America’s dependence on far-flung supply chains. Relocating our critical supply chains closer to the Western Hemisphere would both boost our neighbors’ economic growth and safeguard Americans’ own economic security,” Rubio said. “Our goal is to create a virtuous cycle in these countries. “Closer relationships with the US lead to more jobs and growth, which reduces emigration incentives and provides governments with revenue to fight crime and invest in development at home. As our partners in the region build themselves up, they can more easily resist the influence of countries such as China who promise more than they deliver.”
Rubio claimed that mass migration has “destabilized our entire region.”
“Drug cartels — now correctly categorized as foreign terrorist organizations — are taking over our communities, sowing violence and poisoning our families with fentanyl,” he said, adding that “Illegitimate regimes in Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela are intentionally amplifying the chaos.
“All the while, the Chinese Communist Party uses diplomatic and economic leverage — such as at the Panama Canal — to oppose the United States,” he claimed.
State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Rubio met on Sunday with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino and Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha in Panama City “to address critical regional and global challenges, including the Panama Canal.
“Secretary Rubio made clear that this status quo is unacceptable and that absent immediate changes, it would require the United States to take measures necessary to protect its rights under the Treaty,” she added.
She said Rubio also emphasized “the importance of collaborative efforts to end the hemisphere’s illegal migration crisis and thanked President Mulino for his support of a joint repatriation program, which has reduced illegal migration through the Darien Gap.”
Bruce said Rubio underscored the desire for an “improved investment climate and ensuring a level playing field for fair competition by US firms.”
She said the US Secretary of State also “praised President Mulino’s regional leadership in support of a democratic, free Venezuela.
“Secretary Rubio expressed his gratitude for the productive discussion and underscored the United States’ dedication to making both nations safer, stronger, and more prosperous,” Bruce said.
“He noted this meeting marks an important step in reinvigorating the strategic relationship between the United States and Panama in line with President Trump’s vision,” she added.
