Marco Rubio says US seeks more economic and security ties in Latin America

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is touring Colombia, Ecuador and Peru this week to strengthen ties with conservative leaders and push for expanded economic and security cooperation. In Barranquilla on Tuesday he met Colombia’s new president, Abelardo de la Espriella, and said the administration aims to secure trade agreements with all three countries soon. Rubio described shared priorities that include tackling transnational crime and boosting economic engagement. The visit comes as the Trump administration seeks to check China’s influence in the region and to deepen US military involvement. The article notes that China signed a free-trade agreement with Peru in 2009 and has become Peru’s top trading partner, a trend Washington is seeking to counter. Officials tied the diplomatic push to a broader hemispheric policy platform informally called the “Donroe Doctrine.” Rubio and de la Espriella signed memoranda on critical minerals and civil nuclear cooperation, and de la Espriella indicated he would request US support for military operations, including radar and drone technology. De la Espriella, who took office in August and favors a more militarized approach to crime, has signaled a desire to reestablish Colombia as a primary US security partner in the hemisphere. The tour has drawn criticism from political opponents. Leftist candidate Ivan Cepeda called Rubio’s visit an erosion of sovereignty and criticized the timing of energy and mineral agreements alongside de la Espriella’s loosening of gun restrictions. Separately, Colombia has asked the US to lower tariffs that were imposed on the country in July.