For an administration defined by bold gestures and quick wins, Marco Rubio's performance as secretary of state has been exactly what President Donald Trump likely had in mind when he tapped him for the role in November.
Rubio, the country's top diplomat, chose Latin America for his maiden international trip, a region where he is well-versed. As the son of Cuban exiles, he is fluent in Spanish and has deep knowledge of the geopolitical forces shaping the Western Hemisphere. It was perhaps an unusual destination, but one that is already delivering results for the new administration.
In just two weeks, Rubio has pressured Panama to abandon a key infrastructure deal with China, overseen the release of six American detainees from Venezuela, and resolved a Trump-induced diplomatic standoff with Colombia—all while reinforcing his boss' unique and transactional imprimatur when dealing in foreign policy.
"When Donald Trump won his sweeping victory in November, he received a mandate to put America first," Rubio wrote in The Wall Street Journal on the eve of his first foreign trip. "In the realm of diplomacy, this means paying closer attention to our own neighborhood—the Western Hemisphere."
Panama: Drawing a Red Line With China
Rubio's meeting withPresident José Raúl Mulino of Panama on Sunday was marked by sharp rhetoric, with Rubio reportedly warning that the U.S. might reconsider its stance on the Panama Canal due to China's growing influence.
"Hong Kong-based companies having control over the entry and exit points of the canal is completely unacceptable. That cannot continue," Rubio told conservative personality Megyn Kelly in an interview from the State Department ahead of his trip. "If the Chinese government tells them to shut down the Panama Canal, they will have to—and they would do it. That is a direct threat."
Rubio reportedly warned that Washington might reconsider the terms of the original canal treaties—a veiled threat that echoed language straight from Trump's inaugural address, where the canal was framed as a symbol of American strategic interests overseas.
"Secretary Rubio made clear that this status quo is unacceptable and that absent immediate changes, it would require the United States to take measures necessary to protect its rights under the treaty," the State Department said in a summary of the meeting.
Mulino described the talks as "respectful" and "positive" but confirmed that Panama would not renew its agreement with China's Belt and Road Initiative, which funds infrastructure and development projects around the world, backed by Beijing. Rubio later toured the canal at sunset with its administrator, Ricaurte Vásquez, who has said the waterway will remain in Panama's hands and open to all countries.
"When Rubio met with President Mulino of Panama and threatened to take back the Canal, he was following Trump's marching orders. The issue figured prominently in Trump's inaugural address," said Michael Shifter, professor at Georgetown University and former president of the Inter-American Dialogue, a think-tank policy on Western Hemisphere affairs.
Venezuela: Pragmatism Over Ideology
In dealing with Caracas, Rubio faced a more complex challenge. As a senator from Florida, he was a fierce critic of Nicolás Maduro's authoritarian regime, championing human rights and democratic reforms. But as secretary of state, his mission shifted from advocacy to negotiation.
Rubio helped broker a deal to secure the release of six American detainees—a victory in which he put Trump's penchant for dealmaking above his own promise to never negotiate with Maduro.
Richard Grenell, the special envoy appointed by Trump, traveled to Caracas to personally meet with Maduro. He returned not only with the freed Americans, but also with an agreement that the Venezuelans would begin to receive deportation flights of migrants. In exchange, the White House will allow a major U.S. oil license in Venezuela to be renewed for another six months.
The deal included Maduro's consent to accept deported Venezuelans, something he had refused to do since 2018, including members of the notorious Tren de Aragua gang.
A spokesperson for the State Department told Newsweek on Friday that the visit didn't change Rubio's personal position on Venezuela.
"Missing from the deal was any mention of Maduro's brutal rule and systematic human rights violations, which Rubio championed as a senator from Florida," Shifter, of Georgetown, said.
While the release of American detainees was seen as an unqualified success, Shifter argues the lack of human-rights provisions in the agreement highlights the administration's transactional approach—prioritizing quick wins over long-term reforms.
"Trump appears to be calling the shots, driven by immigration concerns and business prospects in Venezuela's oil sector. Rubio has had to adapt to the power dynamics of Trump 2.0," he added.
Venezuela has some of the world's largest oil reserves, but production remains low as country faces heavy sanctions. Venezuela's GDP has fallen 80 percent in the past decade under Maduro.
Colombia: Swift Retaliation, Swift Results
Rubio's debut as top diplomat unfolded in Colombia, where President Gustavo Petro abruptly refused to accept U.S. deportation flights, directly challenging one of Trump's top immigration priorities in his first week in office.
Rubio responded decisively: the State Department suspended consular services in Bogotá, causing immediate disruptions, while Customs and Border Protection imposed new inspection protocols on Colombian exports.
"This was unprecedented," said Mauricio Claver-Carone, the U.S. Special Envoy for Latin America, to reporters on Friday.
The pressure campaign worked. Within 12 hours, Petro's government reversed its decision, and agreed to use the presidential plane to ferry deportees from the U.S. border.
"That was done on Sunday morning immediately, thanks to the leadership of Secretary Rubio," Claver-Carone said.
USAID: A Shift in Humanitarian Priorities
Beyond high-stakes diplomacy, Rubio's job responsibilities will now extend into U.S. foreign aid. The Trump administration announced plans to merge the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) into the State Department, with significant workforce cuts expected as part of its dismantling of the aid agency.
On Monday, Trump appointed Rubio as acting administrator of USAID, a role Rubio confirmed he would take on as he traveled in El Salvador. Despite delegating day-to-day responsibilities, Rubio will oversee the agency's shift toward strictly life-saving emergency programs as part of a broader freeze on its international aid operations.
Although USAID will remain a humanitarian aid entity, this move reflects the administration's broader realignment of foreign-assistance priorities.
In his interview with Megyn Kelly last week, Rubio delivered something of a preview of his remit in international affairs under Trump: "Countries will openly complain about the U.S. being very firm, but privately, in many cases, they welcome it," he said. "They want clarity in our foreign policy, and they want us to take action."
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About the writer
Jesus is a Newsweek reporter based in New York. Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, his focus is reporting on politics, current ... Read more