The Japan Times - Rubio launches Latin America tour to cement US influence

The recent election of Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella, a hard-right lawyer, has been a game-changer for Washington, which had combative relations with left-wing former president Gustavo Petro.

De la Espriella, a flamboyant 48-year-old millionaire, was elected in June on an anti-establishment platform.

Rubio is to meet the new Colombian president in his stronghold of Barranquilla, a Caribbean port city more famous for being pop star Shakira's hometown than diplomacy.

The Colombian president defeated a left-wing candidate in June's runoff election on the promise of ending peace talks with drug-running armed groups and tackling crime.

Since then, Colombia has stepped up air assaults and authorized joint military operations with the United States.

Colombia has also joined the "Shield of the Americas," the coalition of countries led by Trump to combat drug trafficking in the region.

The stated objective of this trip is "enhanced cooperation in the shared fight against narcoterrorism," according to the State Department.

In Barranquilla, Rubio will also discuss reconstruction after an August 10 earthquake that struck the country's coffee-growing region, killing more than 330 people, according to State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott.

The quake destroyed schools, hospitals and scores of residential buildings across several towns and cities.

The new president has requested US assistance and, in particular, a suspension of customs duties to support reconstruction.

- Hegemonic ambitions -

The tour by America's top diplomat in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru from Tuesday to Thursday comes after a string of right-wing electoral victories across Latin America.

Since President Donald Trump's return to the White House in January 2025, several Latin American countries, including Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Honduras, have initiated or confirmed a conservative turn.

Washington is openly asserting its desire for hegemony over the South American continent in the name of the "Donroe Doctrine."

That is a blend of Trump's first name with that of James Monroe, the fifth US president, who more than two centuries ago declared Latin America the United States' exclusive sphere of influence.

This ambition is spelled out in the new US National Security Strategy, and Rubio, himself of Cuban heritage, is its chief architect.

This Latin American tour comes days after the United States concluded, seven months after the capture of Nicolas Maduro, an agreement that would see Washington take majority control of more than 65 billion barrels of Venezuela's oil reserves.

After Colombia, the US Secretary of State will travel to Ecuador, where he will meet President Daniel Noboa.

Washington and Quito are carrying out operations against boats they say are linked to the criminal group Los Choneros, which is involved in drug trafficking in Ecuador.

A year ago, the US government launched a campaign of air strikes against vessels suspected of being used for drug trafficking in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific, which left more than 200 dead -- without providing evidence and raising human rights concerns.

The final stop is Peru, which has been led since late July by right-wing President Keiko Fujimori, who is also aligned with the US president's policies.

T.Maeda--JT