New US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to visit the Dominican Republic soon, according to US White House sources. Politico reports that sources in the White House say the newly appointed US Secretary of State will make his first visit abroad to Panama, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic starting as early as next week.
Politico reported that late Wednesday, 22 January 2025, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce confirmed the overall travel plan and said Rubio was choosing to prioritize the Western Hemisphere because “it’s where we live.”
“We won’t continue to ignore the region as other administrations have,” Bruce said. “Engaging with our neighbors is a vital element in addressing migration, supply chains and economic growth, which are key to Secretary Rubio’s pursuit of foreign policy focused on making America strong, prosperous, and safe.”
The trip announcement contrasts with press coverage of the recent statements by President Donald Trump as he begins his second term. Politico had reported earlier on the recent statement of Trump: “We don’t need Latin America,” when the President was asked about relations with Latin America and Brazil.
Politico had observed that those comments seem poised to deflate hopes of some in Latin America that Trump would refocus resources on shoring up ties with countries in the Americas.
Nevertheless, Trump in those same statements had also commented that “the relationship should be great.” “They need us much more than we need them. We don’t need them,” he said. “They need us. Everybody needs us.”
The trip comes at a time when China and Russia have increased their footholds in the region over the past decade, financing major infrastructure projects including deepwater ports, and providing more security partnerships for authoritarian states such as Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
Meanwhile, Politico reports that Rubio is expected to use the travel to cover at least two issues at the top of MAGA foreign policy agenda: curtailing illegal migration and Trump’s push to reclaim the Panama Canal, according to one of the current officials and the former official.
Panamanian officials have bristled at Trump’s comments on the strategically important waterway. “The Panama Canal belongs to Panama and will continue to belong to Panama,” Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino said at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week. “The Panama Canal is not a concession or a gift from the United States.”
Other countries Rubio plans to visit, including Guatemala and El Salvador, have also served as major waypoints for migrants trying to reach the US southern border.
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Politico
Politico
Diario Libre
23 January 2025