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Rubio Visiting Costa Rica, Guatemala on Trip Focused on migration and Security Ties

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during his meeting with President Nayib Bukele (Photo: Nayib Bukele).

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By Nike Ching

February 5, 2025
3:31 pm
Los Angeles, CA

STATE DEPARTMENT —U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to hold meetings Tuesday with officials in Costa Rica and later in Guatemala as part of a tour of Latin America focused on migration, security cooperation and countering Chinese influence in the region. Rubio was in El Salvador for talks Monday with President Nayib Bukele, and he announced that Bukele had offered to accept any deportees from the United States, regardless of their nationality. “He’s also offered to do the same for dangerous criminals currently in custody and serving their sentences in the United States even though they’re U.S. citizens or legal residents,” Rubio said. The U.S. government cannot legally deport U.S. citizens. Rubio said El Salvador would fully cooperate on the repatriation of Salvadorans who are in the

Rubio was in El Salvador for talks Monday with President Nayib Bukele, and he announced that Bukele had offered to accept any deportees from the United States, regardless of their nationality.

“He’s also offered to do the same for dangerous criminals currently in custody and serving their sentences in the United States even though they’re U.S. citizens or legal residents,” Rubio said.

The U.S. government cannot legally deport U.S. citizens.

Rubio said El Salvador would fully cooperate on the repatriation of Salvadorans who are in the United States illegally, calling the deal “the most unprecedented, extraordinary, extraordinary migratory agreement anywhere in the world.”

Bukele said on X that his government offered the U.S. “the opportunity to outsource part of its prison system,” with El Salvador accepting a fee to hold convicted criminals in its Terrorism Confinement Center mega prison.

“The fee would be relatively low for the U.S. but significant for us, making our entire prison system sustainable,” Bukele said.

The State Department said Rubio also raised strategies to counter the influence of the Chinese Communist Party in the Western Hemisphere to safeguard the sovereignty and interests of both nations and the region.

His visit comes amid the restructuring of a U.S. agency overseeing foreign aid, which has sparked a showdown between congressional Democrats and President Donald Trump’s administration.

Rubio announced that he is now the acting administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development but has delegated his authority to another official. He stressed that the agency must align U.S. foreign aid with national interests and comply with State Department policy directives.

Late Monday, the United States and El Salvador also signed a memorandum of understanding, or MOU, on civil nuclear cooperation, expanding strategic relations between the two nations.

The State Department said the MOU marks an initial step toward building a robust civil nuclear partnership, aiming to enhance energy security and foster economic cooperation.

Curtailing illegal immigration

Bukele is regarded as a key ally of the United States in its regional efforts to address the migration crisis.

On Oct. 7, 2024, the United States and El Salvador signed a Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement, further strengthening border security and facilitating trade between the two countries.

El Salvador was once the third-largest source of nationals captured at the U.S. southwest border. Today, it no longer ranks among the top 10.

Chinese influence

U.S. President Trump has maintained warm relations with Salvadoran President Bukele, who also strengthened ties with Chinese President Xi Jinping following his state visit to Beijing in December 2019.

During Bukele’s visit, China promised millions in development projects for the Central American country through a series of agreements. Among them were a soccer stadium, a national library, a tourist pier, and funding for water treatment improvements.

In April 2024, China and El Salvador began negotiations on a free trade agreement, though the United States remains El Salvador’s primary trading partner.

El Salvador formally recognized the People’s Republic of China on Aug. 21, 2018, severing diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

Panama

Earlier Monday, Rubio observed a U.S.-funded deportation flight departing from Albrook International Airport in Panama, returning dozens of undocumented Colombians to their home country. A total of 32 men and 11 women were repatriated, including seven individuals with criminal records.

The top U.S. diplomat said it sent “a clear message” that people who sought to enter the U.S. border irregularly would be stopped and sent back to their countries of origin.

On July 1, 2024, the first day of Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino’s term, the U.S. and Panama signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at jointly reducing the number of migrants illegally crossing through Panama’s Darién region en route to the United States.

The program is funded by the U.S. State Department and implemented by the Department of Homeland Security. Monday’s deportation was carried out under the MOU and following a State Department waiver that lifted a previous pause on U.S. foreign aid.

“This is an effective way to stem the flow of illegal migration, of mass migration, which is destructive and destabilizing,” Rubio told reporters at the Albrook International Airport.

“This flight today was possible due to a waiver that we’ve issued,” he added. “We’re going to issue a broader one to continue this cooperation.”

Under the 2024 MOU, the United States has provided nearly $2.7 million to fund flights and tickets to repatriate migrants to their countries of origin.

Since the first repatriation flight on August 20, 2024, over 40 charter flights have been conducted from Panama to more than 14 countries, returning more than 1,700 undocumented migrants. Destinations have included Colombia, Ecuador, India, and Vietnam.

Panama recently reported a 90% decrease in migrants crossing the Darién region compared to the same period last year.

Canal controversy

On Sunday, Rubio warned Panama that Washington will “take necessary measures” if Panama does not take immediate steps to end what U.S. President Donald Trump described as China’s “influence and control” over the Panama Canal.

“Secretary Rubio made clear that this status quo is unacceptable,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement after Rubio’s talks with Mulino.

Mulino also announced that Panama has decided not to renew a 2017 memorandum with China on Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative and will seek to void agreements with the Chinese government before their official expiration dates.

“We’ll study the possibility of terminating it early,” Mulino added on Sunday.

The Belt and Road Initiative, or BRI, is a massive infrastructure project launched by China in 2013 under President Xi Jinping, aiming to connect multiple continents through land and maritime routes. The United States has cautioned that the BRI “is fueled by China’s mission to manipulate and undermine the global rules-based trading system for its own benefit.”

At the United Nations, Chinese Ambassador Fu Cong dismissed the accusations against China as “totally false” and “pointless.” He said that China has never participated in the management or operation of the Panama Canal nor interfered in its affairs. He also reaffirmed respect for Panama’s sovereignty and the canal’s status as a neutral international gateway.

The Chinese ambassador further called Panama’s decision not to renew the BRI agreement “regrettable.”

After visiting Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Guatemala, Rubio’s trip closes with a stop in the Dominican Republic.

Margaret Besheer contributed to this report. Some information for this story was provided by The Associated Press and Reuters.

Source: VOAnews