U.S. Relations With Latin America Set For For Larger Role With Marco Rubio As The U.S.'s Top Diplomat

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida) to be the next U.S. Secretary of State, a move that could significantly impact U.S. foreign policy in Latin America. If confirmed by the Senate, Rubio, who would become the first Latino and first Cuban-American to hold the position, is expected to prioritize issues such as trade, migration, and drug trafficking while also taking a firm stance against U.S. adversaries in the region, including Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua.

Rubio's views on Latin America are well-documented. As a prominent member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a national security hawk, he has long advocated for policies that challenge leftist governments and promote American interests in the region. His hardline approach contrasts sharply with the Biden administration's focus on multilateral diplomacy and engagement with critics of U.S. policy.

Rubio is also a strong supporter of Trump's "America First" agenda, backing the plan for mass deportations of immigrants and showing a willingness to alienate U.S. allies in the region who refuse to align with the new administration's foreign policy.

One of Rubio's main focuses is likely to be Mexico. Although he has said little about newly elected President Claudia Sheinbaum, Rubio was a vocal critic of Sheinbaum's predecessor, Andres Manuel López Obrador. The Mexican president, who in 2022 skipped the U.S.-organized Summit of the Americas to attend a meeting of leftist leaders in Cuba, clashed with Rubio over issues such as drug cartels and support for authoritarian regimes. Rubio accused López Obrador of being an "apologist for tyranny" Cuba, Venezuela, and other countries.

Rubio's influence in Latin America has already been felt during his time in the Senate, where he forged close relationships with regional leaders. Among Rubio's potential allies are Argentine President Javier Milei and El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele, both of whom have drawn praise from the senator for their tough stances on crime and governance. However, Rubio's critics argue that his policies could alienate moderate Latin American governments and exacerbate tensions in the region.

Even centrist, democratically elected leaders, have been targeted. Earlier this year, he criticized Chilean President Gabriel Boric, a vocal critic of Israel's actions in Gaza, accusing him of harboring Hezbollah financiers and labeling him "one of the leading anti-Israel voices in Latin America." In 2023, Rubio described Colombian President Gustavo Petro, a former member of the M-19 guerrilla group, as a "dangerous" leader for a country that has long been a key U.S. ally in the war on drugs.

While Rubio's views on Venezuela have been especially influential, the incoming Secretary of State may face challenges in balancing his hardline rhetoric with the realities of U.S. foreign policy. Some analysts, such as Michael Shifter, the former president of the Inter-American Dialogue, believe that Trump may adopt a more pragmatic approach toward Venezuela, similar to the Biden administration's stance, according to the AP.

The reasoning behind this is that, in order to implement his mass deportation plan, President-elect Trump may need to negotiate with one of his longstanding adversaries: the Venezuelan regime. Expanding deportations may depend on securing cooperation from Nicolás Maduro's government, which currently refuses to accept deportees from the U.S., experts on U.S.-Latin American relations warn.

Besides Marco Rubio, other Cuban-American Republicans are preparing to take on key positions in Trump's administration, raising concerns in countries like Cuba, Mexico, and Venezuela about potencial shifts in U.S. policy toward the region.

In addition to Rubio, Carlos Trujillo, a diplomat, is rumored to be nominated for assistant secretary of state for Latin American affairs, alongside Rubio as the head of the Department, the Miami Herald reported. Also, U.S. Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart, another like-minded Cuban American, is expected to become the next chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, according to sources cited by the outlet.