Rubio secures migration deals as Panama Canal tensions, Church criticisms mark region tour

 

Seattle, Wash., Feb 7, 2025 / 10:15 am (CNA).

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio capped a whirlwind tour of Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic this week by signing fresh migration accords designed to stem northbound flows. But the trip was as much about Central America as it was about China as the Trump administration aims to reclaim American influence and authority in the continent away from its Far East rival.

Rubio began his trip in Panama, where he attended Mass at Our Lady of Mercy in Panama City, a nod to the Catholic faith he often cites as a guiding force in his life. Talks swiftly pivoted to U.S. priorities: curbing illegal migration, restraining Beijing’s influence, and ensuring authoritarian regimes face repercussions for driving mass migration.

During meetings with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Rubio warned of China’s “influence and control” near the canal’s logistics chain. In response, Mulino announced that Panama would let its participation in Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative expire, effectively distancing the nation from a deal it had signed in 2017.

Archbishop José Domingo Ulloa Mendieta pointedly defended Panama’s sovereignty and the canal’s neutrality, calling it a “symbol of national identity.”

“The people of Panama have demonstrated the ability to administer and maintain the canal’s neutrality, open to the world,” he said.

Ulloa Mendieta added that any outside claims on the canal “don’t know the generational struggle and sacrifice” of Panamanians, urging international respect for the nation’s territory and for “dialogue and common sense” to avoid conflict.

New migration accords

Rubio devoted much of his trip to forging alliances to reduce unauthorized journeys to the U.S. In Panama, Rubio observed a U.S.-funded flight at Albrook International Airport repatriating dozens of undocumented Colombians, a measure officials say has curbed illicit crossings through the country’s Darién region.

In El Salvador, Rubio lauded President Nayib Bukele’s commitment to accept deportees regardless of nationality, while Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo agreed to increase U.S. deportation flights by 40%, emphasizing that job creation and reintegration programs are crucial for tackling emigration’s root causes.

A recent clash with Colombia loomed in the background. After facing a threat of 25% tariffs on key exports, Bogotá reversed an earlier refusal to receive U.S. deportees — a move that demonstrated Washington’s readiness to impose economic penalties if nations spurn its migration agenda.

Shortly before Rubio’s visit, Red Clamor, a regional Catholic Church network that advocates for migrants, refugees, and trafficking survivors, issued a statement condemning the Trump administration’s deportation-heavy posture, saying it fosters fear and erodes the “fundamental rights” of those escaping violence.

The group cited Pope Francis’ call to “welcome, protect, promote, and integrate” migrants, contending that heightened national-security measures and detention without due process conflict with essential humanitarian principles, echoing the criticism from Church leaders in the U.S.

Recasting U.S. aid strategy

Another key element of Rubio’s tour focused on clarifying the Trump administration’s freeze on most foreign aid while programs are reviewed for alignment with U.S. priorities — a move the USCCB and Catholic Relief Services urged Congress to more broadly resume.

Rubio underscored that certain initiatives would receive waivers despite the freeze. He noted that the Dominican Republic’s operations targeting narcotics and transnational crime merit continued U.S. support, pointing to record drug seizures preventing narcotics from reaching American streets.

In addition, Rubio singled out Haiti’s spiraling crisis as qualifying for an exception. Dominican President Luis Abinader emphasized the urgent threat that Haiti’s instability poses to the entire region, warning that gang violence could trigger “uncontrollable” migration waves.

Acknowledging that Haitian governance “belongs to the people of Haiti themselves,” Rubio said the U.S. would back the Kenyan-led mission aimed at stabilizing gang-held areas.

Hard line on Venezuela

Rubio’s trip ended in the Dominican Republic with a striking display of U.S. resolve toward Venezuela’s leftist government. Dominican prosecutors, alongside U.S. officials, placed a “seized” notice on a Dassault Falcon 200 jet under Venezuelan ownership, allegedly used to sidestep U.S. sanctions.

“The seizure of this Venezuelan aircraft, used for evading U.S. sanctions and money laundering, is a powerful example of our resolve to hold the illegitimate Maduro regime accountable for its illegal actions,” Rubio posted on X.

He reiterated that recent talks between White House Envoy Richard Grenell and President Nicolás Maduro solely aimed at pressing Caracas to accept deported Venezuelans and free U.S. citizens held as political prisoners — not at recognizing Maduro’s legitimacy.

Labeling Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua “enemies of humanity,” Rubio blamed Maduro’s government for displacing millions of Venezuelans and accused Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega of persecuting the Catholic Church, while deeming Cuba’s jailing of dissenters an “international disgrace.”