secretary of state Marco Rubio is preparing to travel to Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala and other Central American and Caribbean countries in the coming weeks, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce confirmed to CBS News.
The trip, expected to be his first overseas trip as top US envoy, will include a stop in Panama to meet with leaders there as President Trump urges the US to regain operational control of Panama Canal. His visits to other Central American countries will likely focus on establishing formal agreements with those countries to take in nationals deported from the US as part of the new Trump administration immigration policy which is expected to result in a significant increase in deportations. Several Latin American governments, including Guatemala, have signaled they are open to new agreements.
Rubio’s confirmation this week as the first Latin American secretary of state was closely watched by governments across the hemisphere intrigued by his rise and eager to gain more attention from US officials, particularly its top diplomat who has personal ties to the region and a long history of public criticism of communist and socialist governments.
One person familiar with the planning, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly about the ongoing planning, said Rubio “is probably not coming next week, but the first week of February.”
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Panama’s government has not announced any expected visit, but its president issued strong statements ahead of and on inauguration day refuting President Trump’s claim that China now controls the Panama Canal. He promised that the key transit point would remain under Panamanian control and that the US would not retake it.
The trip to Panama comes after Mr. Trump said in his inaugural speech that former President Jimmy Carter, who died on December 29 at the age of 100, “foolishly” returned control of the Panama Canal.
“We have been treated very badly because of this stupid gift that should never have been made,” said Mr. Trump. “And the promise Panama made to us has been broken. The purpose of our agreement and the spirit of our treaty have been completely violated. American ships are grossly overpriced and not treated fairly in any way, shape, or form, and that includes the United States Navy. And above all, China controls the Panama Canal, and we didn’t give it to China, we gave it to Panama, and we’re taking it back.”
With the comments from Panama, migration from Central America is a high priority for the Trump administration and Mr. Trump has already signed executive actions laying the groundwork for his sweeping deportation plan and designating cartels and gangs as terrorist groups.
National Security Adviser Mike Waltz he said Sunday on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.” that the Trump administration will “go after the criminal gangs that terrorize our cities,” specifically citing MS-13 and Tren De Aragua. Venezuela will not take deportees who are members of Tren De Aragua, and Waltz said the Trump administration is talking to third countries about accepting them.
