A key focus of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to Central America this week — his first trip as America’s top diplomat — will be to counter China’s growing influence in the region, the State Department’s top spokesperson said this week,

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio will make his first official trip abroad next week to Central America, including a stop in Panama, which President Donald Trump has riled with talk of trying to reclaim the Panama Canal.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has embarked on a trip to Central America, including Panama, as part of efforts to counter Chinas expanding influence in the region. According to a State Department spokesperson,

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is heading to Central America on Monday in what is his first oversees trip since being confirmed as the top U.S. diplomat.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to visit Panama and other countries in Central America amid President Donald Trump’s push to reclaim the Panama Canal and Washington’s efforts to curb illegal migration.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit Panama and four other countries in Central America and the Caribbean starting late next week during his first overseas trip as Washington's top diplomat, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said on Thursday.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will likely travel to Central America in the first week of February, a source familiar with the planning said.

While Rubio’s anti-China rhetoric aligns with Washington’s broader geopolitical goals, the tools at his disposal are insufficient to match Beijing’s economic engagement.

The United States is contemplating deporting members of Venezuela's most feared gang to El Salvador, a move proposed by President Donald Trump, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. The plan is expected to be discussed in the coming days during Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit to Central America.

Traditionally, when US secretaries of state make their international debuts, they travel to major US allies and offer bromides about working together. Arevalo -- whose country is a major source of migrants -- has been quick to cooperate with Trump,

Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino has ruled out negotiations with the US over ownership of the Panama Canal as he prepares to Marco Rubio. | TAG24