MARCO RUBIO: The Americas’ Golden Age begins now

Putting America first means protecting our region – keeping deadly drugs like fentanyl out of our cities, deporting illegal migrants and criminals, and stopping the economic, technological and political influence of Communist China throughout our hemisphere. 

I chose to make my first trip as President Donald Trump’s secretary of state to five of our strongest democratic partners for a good reason. This is our region, but too often during previous administrations it was simply overlooked. During my time in the U.S. Senate, regional leaders often complained that it seemed better to be America’s enemy than its friend. Well, no more.  

My visit to Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic has won immediate results. 

These early successes from President Trump’s America First agenda prove several important points. (Evan Vucci/AP)

Panama is getting out of China’s debt trap orbit. El Salvador agreed to take deportees of any nationality. Costa Rica is expanding cooperation with us against drugs, crime and terrorists. 

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Guatemala committed to receiving 40% more deportation flights. And with our help, in the Dominican Republic, the United States seized an aircraft belonging to a senior member of the Venezuelan regime that was used to evade U.S. sanctions.  

These advances, and many others, are now possible because nations in our hemisphere know that under President Trump’s leadership, we will be firm in countering our adversaries, generous in rewarding our allies and confident in securing our national security interests. 

This commonsense approach is already paying dividends for our partners and for the American people.  

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China had been gaining greater influence over the Panama Canal area for years, endangering the canal’s neutrality and America’s security. But all it took was a warning from the United States about the dangers posed by China for Panama to commit to exit China’s Belt and Road Initiative. 

The Biden administration had chilled relations with El Salvador by overtly snubbing its democratically elected president. But in my first meeting as secretary of state with Nayib Bukele, he offered to imprison violent illegal migrants – not just from El Salvador, but from any country – on the United States’ behalf. 

The leaders of Costa Rica, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic also extended a helping hand. Together, we strategized to defeat threats to the Americas’ sovereignty in whatever shape they take, whether from China’s 5G telecom spying, illegal migration or transnational crime syndicates. And each foreign leader renewed his pledge to accept deportees from our country. 

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These bold gestures of friendship do not go unnoticed. The United States’ new memorandum of understanding on civil nuclear cooperation with El Salvador is an example of the benefits our partners can expect to receive when they help us further our goals. It is also an example of how commonsense compromises can expand safety, security and prosperity not just for ourselves, but for everyone who shares our common home in our hemisphere.  

The contrast between the past three weeks and the prior four years is difficult to overstate. Only a few months ago, the entire region appeared to be turning toward China. Country after country fell prey to criminals and cartels. Tyrannical regimes in Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Cuba worked to take advantage of our diplomats. That will no longer be the case. As I said during my press conference in Costa Rica, those three regimes are enemies of humanity. 

What changed? Simple – we gained a president, and administration, unwilling to stand by and let America’s influence decline in our own region. 

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These early successes from President Trump’s America First agenda prove several important points. 

For one, they prove that the U.S. prioritizes its interests but also those of our allies in our hemisphere. They are more naturally aligned with us than with a faraway dictatorship like China. They will only break that alignment when the United States cedes the field to its adversaries. 

The second point these successes prove is that America First does not mean America Alone. The accusation of isolationism rings false, because this administration will strike mutually beneficial deals with our international partners whenever and wherever possible – and always in accord with our interests. 

This approach to foreign policy is pragmatic, but it is not an abandonment of our values. It is simply based on realism rather than utopian ideology. And it is already bringing success. 

I look forward to similar or even greater success on my next trips. Other nations around the world, from our own region to the far ends of the earth, recognize that America is great again. And in partnership with us, the Americas will be great again, too. 

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Marco Rubio serves as the 72nd U.S. secretary of state. He represented Florida in the U.S. Senate from 2011 to 2025.