Latin America gets deals to visit Rubio

As Foreign Minister Marco Rubio, his first foreign journey begins on Saturday in Panama, Central American countries are largely reeling under the weight of President Trump’s approach, Including the threats of military power to restore the Panama channel and Coercion countries to accept military aircraft Fillped with deported immigrants.

The visit comes during a tense period for the region, which is struggling with the potential economic repercussions of Mr. Trump’s policies, such as collective deportation and stopping external aid.

“It is every country for itself,” said Michael Chevter, an older colleague at the Institute of Dialogue Research between America in Washington. He said that the American leaders know “the fragmentation of the region and the ease of capture it.” “This is what Trump is doing better.”

Despite several attempts To secure meetings with Mr. Trump team In the period before his presidency, the region faced a steady rejection. Now, with Mr. Trump in his position and the treatment of Latin America as a decisive axis – as shown in his opening speech, in which Panama mentioned six times while traditional enemies such as Iran and Russia – the risks were not lifted.

Mr. Rubio will land in Panama on Saturday, then move to Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. The talks are expected to focus on immigration, and affect the effect of China in the region and thwart the flow of medications, especially fentanel, to the United States.

Latin American countries want to maintain the current situation in their American relations: maintaining trade open, and maintaining American investments – which Mr. Trump says he wants to bring home – and leave external aid faucets open. These countries are likely to be one of the largest requests of Mr. Rubio that these countries signing “a third safe country” agreements to accept asylum seekers from other countries looking for a shelter in the United States.

Countries like El Salvador and the Dominican Republic view this opportunity to strengthen their relations with Washington, while Panama is already in the spotlight, on the edge of the abyss, is preparing to defend its interests in the upcoming talks.

Below is a look at the five countries that Mr. Rubio will visit and the largest issues on the table.

Panama

Although President Jose Raul Mulino from Panama last week excluded negotiations with Mr. Rubio on Panama, the issue will remain in mind when leaders meet on Saturday.

Mr. Trump falsely accused Panama of allowing China to the station’s forces On the channel and the treatment of American ships and goods by imposing exorbitant fees. The Panama Channel, which runs the waterway independently of the government, denied those claims.

Although there are no Chinese forces that can be seen on the waterway, its company is based in Hong Kong, called CK Hutchison Holdings, has been working on two naval operations at each end of the Panama channel for decades.

Analysts say that Mr. Trump may not be serious about using the US military to restore the channel, instead, they get out of the severe negotiation situation in order to obtain another deal. He may look forward to lower American commodity fees that cross the channel or more cooperation on immigration.

The other main issue of Mr. Rubio and Benmamis is likely to discuss migration and gap in Daryin, which is the risk of the risky forest between Panama and Colombia used by hundreds of thousands of immigrants in recent years to reach the United States.

Panama is likely to ask the United States to invest more in Panama if she seeks to reduce Chinese influence in the region. Politicians and Banmunic business leaders complain That when the country puts tenders for large infrastructure projects, American companies are often absent while Chinese are keen on bids.

On the other hand, Mr. Rubio can ask Panama to sign a safe country agreement, which you will see that it absorbs immigrants from non -Panamans. Analysts say Mr. Rubio can use threats to restore the channel to pressure Panama to accept asylum seekers or obtain it to expel CK Hutchison’s possessions from these ports.

Guatemala

Guatemala has emerged as an eager country to show that she is open to cooperating with the Trump administration, especially when it comes to immigration. The Guatemali government was the first country to receive American military flights, which worked to support Mr. Trump’s claim that immigrants are better criminals.

Instead of talking about deportation, the government launched a “return home” plan Reintegration.

“For us, the most important thing is to present ourselves to the United States to the new administration, as a reliable and strategic partner in the region,” said Carlos Ramiro Martinez, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala, in an interview with him last week.

About 675,000 Guatemalion Long Daried in the United States as of 2022, according to the Pew Research Center, which makes it One of the largest sources of illegal immigrants After Mexico, India and El Salvador.

Guatemala also participates in the border with Mexico, and migrants from all over the world a journey through them on their flights north. Analysts say Mr. Rubio can call the nation to do more to prevent immigrants from reaching Mexico.

When asked if Guatemala would host asylum seekers who were deported from the United States as part of the “Third Country A secure” agreement, Mr. Ramiro said there is nothing outside the table before the visit. “I do not rule out anything because negotiation is still going on,” he said at a press conference last week.

Mr. Ramiro said the table will also face illegal trafficking in drugs and organized crime.

Guatemala president, Bernardo Arvalo, faces a severe internal opposition and will likely try to find an ally in Mr. Rubio, both to support his position at home and protect the economy. The United States is the main commercial partner in Guatemala, which represents more than 30 percent of the country’s exports, including coffee and bananas.

Salvador

Among all countries in the region that Mr. Rubio is planning to visit, El Salvador stands out to create a fairly warm relationship with the Trump administration.

“Inside the inner circle of Maga loyalists, the agent has a lot of call,” said Manuel Milindies Sanchez, the scientist of Silvadori Policy at Harvard University, of the President of El Salvador, Nayb Bokil.

Speaking of Al Salvadori government Campaign on evil gangs The country has worsened the enthusiasm of the traditional Republicans. Anti -Mr. Agent and what he calls “FightingAmerican conservative policies have captured. And embrace technology, Including bitcoin as an official currencyHe won technical billionaires, such as Elon Musk.

In a phone call between Leaders last weekMr. Trump praised the leadership of Mr. Bokil before discussing the two main issues. Mr. Rubio is likely to appear during his visit: illegal immigration and gang suppression.

It is a priority for the Trump administration to make the country deported in the United States from the United States.

Country A similar deal signed In 2019, after Trump administration officials cut some aid to El Salvador, accusing the country of not doing enough to reduce illegal immigration. However, the agreement did not come into effect and was terminated by the Biden administration.

In a brief invitation on Friday, Mauricio Claver Caron, the special envoy of Latin America, told reporters that the United States is committed to efforts to “revive this agreement.”

A spokeswoman for Mr. Bokali refused to comment.

During the visit of Mr. Rubio, Mr. Klavir Karon added, he will also try to persuade El Salvador to accept members of a review from the Trine de Aragua gang, a Venezuelan criminal group Its arrival has spread to the United States.

“If Caracas does not accept them, you will receive them as an agent,” Maria Elvira Salazar, a member of the Republican Congress, He said Last week. “Bukele’s prisons are very large.”

Costa Rica

Mr. Rubio’s visit is likely to focus on American investment, immigration policy and continuous battle against international drug trafficking, according to the Costa Rican authorities.

President Rodrigo Chavez expects more dealing with Mr. Trump.

He told reporters last week: “It will be related to international trade issues, capital and investment flows,” he told reporters last week.

Mr. Trump’s criticism Among the Biden Freedoms and Sciences Law – and its general position against American companies that invest abroad – have been nervous in Costa Rica, a center for the manufacture of semiconductors. The Biden era program was supposed to reduce the United States’ dependence on China to produce fine chips by encouraging neighboring countries to enter this industry.

Besides trying to maintain American investments, Costa Rica will depict itself as a decisive ally in the war against drugs during negotiations with Mr. Rubio. Costa Rica has become a major transfer point for cocaine It is dedicated to the United States, which has contributed to the high murder rate in the country since 2022.

Arnoldo André, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica, described the joint battle against organized crime and drug trafficking as “issues that we confirm that we will be able to reconcile with the new American authorities.”

The current and former government officials say that if Mr. Trump wants to continue to get rid of drug trafficking, economic investments must be preserved. Or poverty may make the country mature for the hurry that runs amok in the region.

dominican republic

During the Senate confirmation sessions, Mr. Rubio stated the Dominican Republic as one of the countries in Latin America, which was “doing it in the right way.”

Thus, Mr. Rubio may mean Trump’s method. The Caribbean state builds a wall along its borders with Haiti, and the government pledged to deport 10,000 Haiti a week – a group of human rights groups She criticized that she is filled with violations.

The Dominican Republic, a country of 11 million, shares an island with Haiti, and it is a nation that has Chaos Since the assassination in July 2021 from the last elected president, JOVENEL MOUSE. Gangs that get income from illegal checkpoints, extortion and kidnapping used the political vacuum to expand their territory to control about 90 percent of the Haiti capital.

About a million Haiti fled their homes, according to L. International Organization for MigrationIt crosses many of the boundaries that are easy to penetrate to the Dominican Republic.

A wave of nationalism, President Louis Abyader was re -elected last May in a backed land collapse Monteary feelings That spread among the population, with the pledge of the most striking immigration policies.

The Dominican Republic also emerged as a major security partner for Washington, as it recorded drugs and methods of smuggling weapons that nourish violence throughout the region. Trump administration wants more cooperation there.

Reports previously contributed Mary Triton Zia From the city of Panama; Judy Garcia From the city of Guatemala; Gabriel Labrador From San Salvador and Hogla Enecia Pérez From Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.