In theory and according to what the White House has said, the official will be the bearer of a message that entails the aggressive policy already outlined by President Donald Trump.
Unlike his predecessors who adopted a conciliatory message with their allies in their first trips, the former senator from Florida is coming to impose conditions, in a policy that will presumably seek peace through force.
Apart from the immigration issue and reaching an agreement with San Salvador as an immigrant receiving country, the head of the US diplomacy will take a look at Nayib Bukele’s pretensions to turn the country into a regional trade and technology center, in which China plays a key role.
There are expectations in El Salvador about Rubio’s visit and his agreements with Bukele, who maintains a position of rapprochement with Washington, despite Trump’s criticism during his election campaign.
Rubio will now be received to presumably formalize a relationship with the extreme wing of US politics.
His visit not only reinforces his good relationship with President Bukele, but also reopens the debate on migration, deportations and the return of the “third safe country” agreement.
From his role as senator, the official praised on several occasions the security policies promoted by the Salvadoran president, especially the fight against gangs through the exception regime.
In Trump’s first administration, El Salvador agreed to become a “third safe country,” an agreement that obliged migrants in transit through its territory to apply for asylum in the country before reaching the US border.
Observers wonder if there will be room for economic development initiatives or if the visit will focus solely on tightening immigration control.
Something is moving, and here could come into play pressures to slow down the negotiation of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) under negotiation with China that will open the local market to productions from the Asian nation, more competitive than those from the United States.
This could be an issue, although some, such as the academic Óscar Picardo, from the Francisco Gavidia University, believe that Rubio’s visit will mainly reinforce the ideological harmony between Trump and Bukele.
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