The Rubio Recap: What He Said about Latin America at His Hearing

If there was one dominant theme in Rubio’s hearing, it was the competition between the world’s two biggest economies. As Rubio put it, “The 21st century will be defined by what happens between the United States and China.” He spoke about how that dynamic plays out in Latin America.

Rubio explained the three ways he sees China as exerting influence on Latin America. First, he highlighted the use of investment and sometimes “bribes.” “They go in, and, in some ways, they create deals that you cannot possibly pay back. So now you've got a debt that you can't pay back and they have you trapped. Now they've got your vote at the UN, and your cooperation on X,Y, or Z.”

Rubio spotlighted how this investment is also a way China has pushed countries to cease to recognize Taiwan. He brought up Panama, who switched their allegiance to Beijing in 2017. “In 2016–2017, [it] was well understood that part of the investments [China] made in Panama were conditioned upon Panama's ability to convince the Dominican Republic and other countries to flip their recognition away from Taiwan,” he said. Earlier in the hearing, Rubio pointed out that the majority of countries that recognize Taiwan are in the Western Hemisphere.

Second, he spoke about Beijing’s involvement in mining. “A Chinese company will buy up the lithium mine, or access to the rarest minerals, in these long-term contracts,” he said.

Third, he pointed out China’s military presence, especially in Cuba.

To respond to China’s influence, Rubio said, “We have to be present and have counters to each of these, and or there have to be consequences for each of these. Fortunately, the United States has strong relationships in multiple key countries in the region, and I think we have the opportunity to build upon that in ways that can attract the sort of investment they would rather have than Chinese investment, but right now it's not available. There is no American alternative to what the Chinese are offering. Hopefully we can provide openings for that.”

On December 21, President-elect Trump called for the Panama Canal to be “returned” to the United States, criticizing the fees Panama charges and claiming the canal is under Chinese control. The canal is operated by the Panama Canal Authority, an autonomous agency of the Panamanian government.

When asked about China’s leverage over the Canal, Rubio mentioned observations made by the former head of U.S. Southern Command Laura Richardson on her 2016 trip to Panama where she siad saw Chinese companies on each side of the canal. Rubio expressed concern that through these Chinese businesses, Beijing has “the ability to turn the canal into a choke point in a moment of conflict, and that is a direct threat to the national interest and security of the United States.” He later explained he wants more information to be uncovered about China’s relationship to the canal, an effort he feels will have support from both parties.

“That said, Panama is a great partner in a lot of other issues,” Rubio explained, “And I hope we can resolve this issue of the canal and of its security, and also continue to work with them cooperatively on a host of issues we share in common, including what to do with migration.”

Rubio expressed that the United States should do more to help its allies in the region. “As a general matter, one of the things that has always struck me in the region—maybe this is true in other parts of the world as well—it is almost better to be America's adversary than friend, because there is the impact of friendship, or the benefits, are not tangibly clear,” he explained. “The people who want to be cooperative are ignored and the countries doing it the right way are ignored.”

He brought up three countries in the region he views as cooperative where he wants to see deeper relationships: Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, and Argentina. For Ecuador, he highlighted its security threats and the issue of illegal Chinese fishing. For the Dominican Republic, he pointed out the challenge instability in Haiti poses but praised the country’s Covid recovery. And he complemented Argentine President Javier Milei. “This is a serious, well-trained economist,” Rubio said. “He has real, clear ideas about economic development and is doing some necessary things in terms of restructuring the direction of Argentine economics in a way that is positive.”

When asked how the United States can become better engaged with Mexico, Rubio said,“I wish we had more than 30 seconds… because it is one of those issues that I think does not get enough attention.” In his response to a question about the United State’s top trade partner, he identified three areas of friction between the North American neighbors: trade, security, and violence.

On trade, Rubio pointed to agriculture as an area of concern and said, in general, he sees a pattern of Mexico not complying with USMCA and the 1944 Rio Grande water sharing agreement. “You can strike any deal you want or sign any document you want, but if you are not willing to prioritize its enforcement, you are encouraging others to get away with the same thing and undermining the willingness of people to enter into agreements in the future,” he said. On concerns that Mexico is not holding up its obligations to the water sharing agreement, Rubio said he would take action: “I don't just mean sending a letter or somebody sending an email just mentioning it. I'm saying make it a priority.”

On security and violence, Rubio focused on drug cartels, explaining, “These are sophisticated criminal enterprises… and they operate in the trafficking of people, drugs and migrants, to horrifying effect. Sadly, they also have basically operational control over huge swaths of the border regions between Mexico and the United States.” When asked if the cartels should be designated as terrorist groups, Rubio called this “an imperfect tool” but said “it may be the appropriate one.” When asked if military force is an option by a senator, Rubio said, “That’s an option the president has at his disposal.”

“My preference would be that we can work with the Mexicans on this issue cooperatively because it is impacting their nation as much as ours,” he continued. Several times, he highlighted the threat the cartels pose to Mexico’s politicians and journalists. Cartels, he said, “are also threatening the sovereignty of the Mexican state.”

In the hearing, Rubio was praised by a Republican senator for his advocacy against the regimes in Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. Rubio was then credited as the reason Trump put a tweet out in support of Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. Machado was disqualified from Venezuela’s 2024 presidential elections. In the run up to these contests, the administration of President Joe Biden dropped certain sanctions on the Maduro regime, in exchange for promises of a clean and fair vote.

“I was in strong disagreement with the Biden administration because they got played the way I knew they would get played,” explained Rubio about the election, in which Maduro falsely claimed victory over opposition candidate Edmundo González. “Now they have general licenses where companies like Chevron are providing billions of dollars of money into the regime's coffers, and the regime kept none of the promises they made.” Still, when discussing sanctions generally, Rubio did express that loosening sanctions is a tool the United States should consider.

Venezuela, Rubio explained, “is governed by a narco-trafficking organization that has empowered itself of a nation state.” He linked the regime as a source to the region’s migrant crisis and expressed concern that the regime is cooperating with Iran.

When asked about human rights abusers in the Americas, Rubio spoke on Nicaragua, saying, “There's no democracy. It has been wiped out,” while detailing the regime’s repression against the Catholic Church and opposition leaders.

“They have been direct contributors to the migratory crisis we face,” he said, explaining how migrants fly into Nicaragua visa-free and then journey to the United States. He also called out the Ortega regime’s military cooperation with Russia, specifically the approval of a Russian naval base in Nicaragua.

Rubio’s parents came to the United States from Cuba in 1956 “with nothing but the dreams of a better life.” Throughout his public life, Rubio has been a staunch critic of the Cuban regime and an advocate for harsher sanctions.

In the hearing, Rubio said that in Cuba, “the moment of truth is arriving.” “Cuba is literally collapsing, both generationally, in terms of all the young people leaving, but also economically,” he explained. “They are now living on 21-hour rolling blackouts and some days longer, because Marxism doesn't work, because they are corrupt, and because they are inept.”

Rubio expressed disapproval with the Biden administration’s 2025 decision to lift some economic sanctions placed on Cuba by Trump in 2017 in exchange for the release of policial prisoners. The Biden administration removed Cuba from the state sponsor of terrorism list just days before Trump is due to take office. 

When asked if he believes Cuba is a state sponsor of terrorism, Rubio said, “Without a question.” He explained his view that Cuba aids organizations like the FARC and ELN in Colombia, is friendly to Hamas and Hezbollah, has ties to Iran, hosts espionage stations for China and Russia, and houses U.S. fugitives. Still, he said the decision to reverse the Biden decision is Trump’s to make.

“There is no easy answer,” Rubio said when asked about the situation in Haiti, where the 2021 assassination of the then president exacerbated an already existing war between the government and gangs. “These are bad gang elements that are operating within Haiti and have destabilized, not just Haiti but threatened to destabilize the Dominican Republic, not to mention the migratory pressure it places on the United States, on the Bahamas, and other places in the region.” Elections have not been held in the country since 2016.

Rubio, who as the U.S. Senator for Florida represents the largest population of Haitians in the United States, praised the National Police Force of Haiti as “extraordinarily brave” and said the Kenyans “deserve a lot of credit” for the Multinational Security Support Mission they have spearheaded.

What should be done? Rubio explained, “I don't think anyone can tell you they have a master plan for how you fix that overnight. I think it does begin with security and stability. It's not going to come from a U.S. military intervention.” He said he would encourage other countries to provide support to move toward a transitional government and elections.