Salvadorean President Nayib Bukele said his administration is willing to take in "only convicted criminals" in exchange for a fee

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that the deal includes an offer from Bukele to house dangerous criminals who are American citizens or legal residents, within Salvadoran prisons.

The canal authority said it will "optimize transit priority" of such ships through the waterway.

The Panamanian government had signed the agreement in 2017. Rubio had told President Mulino to reduce Chinese influence around the canal or face consequences

On his first trip overseas as the top US diplomat, Rubio took a guided tour of the canal accompanied by its Panamanian administrator as a South Korean-affiliated oil tanker and Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship passed through the vital link between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Senator Marco Rubio urged Panama to reduce China's growing influence over the Panama Canal, warning of potential consequences if the country does not take action.

The visit follows Trump's pledge to "take back" the Panama Canal, as China's growing influence in Latin America sparks concerns among Republican leaders.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the license should be reconsidered

Jose Raul Mulino said he won't discuss control of the canal during the secretary of state's visit. Rubio, in contrast, said "we're going to address that topic."

Edmundo González said receiving Venezuelans would help Nicolas Maduro tighten his grip on power

Jose Raul Mulino said the matter is "sealed" as the "canal belongs to Panama"

Donald Trump is pushing his "America First" ideology on foreign policy, making some Latin American countries open to striking deals on immigration.

The Latin Times spoke with Manuel Camilo González Vides, teacher of foreign affairs at Bogota's Universidad Javeriana, to get his assessment on Sunday's diplomatic standoff

The U.S. froze nearly all foreign aid under Secretary of State Marco Rubio's directive, sparing only Israel and Egypt, a decision that's sparked geopolitical and legal concerns.

Trump swiftly reversed a decision made last week by the Biden administration

Rubio is expected to visit Panama, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic, according to the Department of State

Marco Rubio spoke to Netanyahu from Washington on Wednesday night to "underscore that maintaining the United States' steadfast support for Israel is a top priority for President Trump," State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said.

Trump became the 47th President of the U.S. Monday, dedicating his first address, in part, to discussing his immigration agenda and plans to curb drug cartels.

Greenland, Canada, the Panama Canal, Venezuela, and Cuba will likely consume his agenda should he be confirmed in the post

POLITICO's Nahal Toosi says Rubio is being undermined even before getting confirmed

The nominee for Secretary of State said cartels are "terrorizing the United States" and that the country should work with Mexico to address them

As Florida's AG, Moody led lawsuits to invalidate the Affordable Care Act, and advocated against restoration of voting rights for former felons

Havana denies the releases are linked to U.S. plans to lift Cuba's state sponsor of terrorism designation, framing the move as Vatican-driven.

"Cuba is literally collapsing, both generationally in terms of all the young people leaving but it's also collapsing economically" said Rubio

"Venezuela, sadly is not governed by a government," said Rubio. "It's governed by a narcotrafficking organization that has empowered itself with a nation state"

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is questioned by a group of bipartisan Senators as he seeks to become the next Secretary of State under the Trump administration.

The Secretary of State nominee detailed the main topics he will seek to address if confirmed to the post

The nominee argued that if Ukraine is not in a strong position to negotiate it will be imposed "neutrality" only for Russia to rearm and attack the country again

Several protesters were forcibly removed from the hearing during Rubio's opening statement

Protesters were forcibly removed from the hearing during Rubio's opening statement