The politician has defended for years the policy of maximum pressure on Cuba and criticized any rapprochement with the Island
EFE/14ymedio, Washington, 14 November 2024 — “Giving such political scope to a sinister figure, who has caused so much damage, is not a positive omen for the world.” This is how Cuba’s State newspaper Granma commented on Wednesday on the appointment of Marco Rubio as the new Secretary of State for Donald Trump’s Cabinet. More composed, Cubadebate limited itself to exposing the political curriculum of the man who will be the first Cuban-American to occupy that office. The regime’s senior officials, however, remain silent, and other leaders allied with Cuba, such as those of Nicaragua and Venezuela, remain cautious.
Latin America is still wary about the nomination of someone who is expected to increase pressure on the region’s dictatorships, of which he has always been critical. Trump announced on Wednesday the nomination of Rubio, whom he described as “a highly respected leader and a very powerful voice in favor of freedom. He will be a strong defender of our nation, a true friend of our allies and a brave warrior who will never surrender to our adversaries,” Trump said.
Cuba, which has been immersed in a deep economic and energy crisis for four years, faces this change with obvious concern and so far has not commented on Trump’s return to the presidency. In his first term he considerably tightened the sanctions imposed on the regime and included Cuba on the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
To withdraw the sanctions, Rubio calls for changes in the matter of human rights, the freedom of political prisoners and the democratization of the system.
Rubio has defended for years the policy of maximum pressure on Cuba and has criticized any rapprochement with the Island, including the period known as the “thaw,” when diplomatic relations were re-established during the Obama Administration. To withdraw the sanctions, Rubio calls for changes in the matter to human rights, the freedom of political prisoners and the democratization of the Cuban political system. Cuba, for its part, demands respect for national sovereignty and points to human rights problems in the United States.
Rubio has also been a constant critic of the president of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, whom he accuses of being a dictator, of violating human rights, staying in power through fraud, annulling the opposition and imprisoning his possible rivals. Rubio has called for sanctions and the denial of international loans to that Central American country.
Nicaraguan opponents, such as Arturo McFields and Jaime Arellano, see Rubio’s nomination as a triumph for the fight against Ortega, while others, such as sociologist Javier Meléndez, are skeptical, criticizing the focus on Nicaragua. Guatemalan migration analyst Pedro Pablo Solares tells EFE that Rubio’s nomination “should be seen positively.”
The senator is “a critic of the loss of democracy in the region in countries such as Cuba and Venezuela. Guatemala can take advantage of his diplomacy to maintain the support it has received from the United States in terms of democracy,” he adds.
In the same vein, Celia Medrano, former candidate for the Salvadoran vice presidency for the minority (center-right) party Nuestro Tiempo and an expert on migration issues, tells EFE that with Rubio, the new Trump Administration will be able to “increase pressure against Cuba, Venezuela and to a lesser extent Nicaragua.”
Rubio increases the risk that Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will be seen in the White House as “a regional enemy”
For Guilherme Casarões, professor of International Politics at the Getulio Vargas Foundation, Rubio, as head of US diplomacy, increases the risk that Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will be seen in the White House as “a regional enemy” for being aligned with the Latin American left.
“Rubio’s statements and positions as a senator show that he is very attentive to Latin American politics, which he can come to see as a dispute between good and evil.” This vision can lead to a bilateral “lack of political dialogue” and a possible weakening of Brazil at the regional level, he explains to EFE.
The Government of Colombia, which has not yet commented on the appointment, wants to maintain good relations with the United States, based on bipartisanship, but Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Rubio have differences. “Even if you don’t like to say it to our press, Senator Rubio is an expression of the most backward sectors of American politics and has helped to build a violent foreign policy. That policy has killed millions of people in the 21st century,” Petro said in a 2019 tweet, when he was not yet president.
For his part, Rubio has called the president “Gustavo ‘Chávez’ Petro” and has recently criticized his pro-Palestinian position: “It is unfortunate to see that a country as important as Colombia, whose extraordinary people have suffered from terrorist actions, currently has a president who condemns Israel and compares its leaders to Nazis, while justifying and giving his support to Hamas.”
However, for the government of Javier Milei in Argentina, a country that the senator visited in February of this year to meet with the ultra-liberal president, it is good news. During his visit, Rubio was “honored” to be received by Milei, whom he said he had “followed very closely” during his career for the Presidency. Previously, he had described Milei as an ally who must be supported by the United States and urged the Biden Administration to pressure the International Monetary Fund to restructure Argentina’s debt, a central issue for the South American country.
On the other hand, the Republican has been very critical of former Argentina President Cristina Fernández (2007-2015) and last December sent a letter to Biden requesting sanctions against her for being a “convicted kleptocrat” who has favored China and Iran. The Uruguayan Vice Chancellor, Nicolás Albertoni, “looks kindly on the name of Marco Rubio. He has a long parliamentary career in which he has highlighted the importance of the region, and on different occasions he has mentioned the importance of Uruguay as a promoter of values shared with the United States,” he told EFE.
Panama’s Foreign Minister, Javier Martínez-Acha, congratulated Rubio on his nomination and said he hoped to “strengthen” diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The elected governor of Puerto Rico, Jenniffer González, was “proud” of her “dear friend and one of the strongest allies” of the island in Congress. “I have no doubt that with his unwavering commitment to our democratic values, he will continue to promote an agenda that strongly supports our allies and sanctions dictatorial regimes,” she said.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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