Donald Trump is expected to nominate Senator Marco Rubio as secretary of state, according to sources close to the incoming administration. Marco Rubio would then become the first Latino to hold this position. Aged 53, Marco Rubio has been a Republican senator from Florida since 2011. He was also on Donald Trump's short list of potential vice-presidents.
The son of Cuban immigrants who fled the regime of Fidel Castro (his family left Cuba in 1962), he grew up in Miami and embodied the rise of the Cuban community in American political life. A University of Miami law graduate, he first served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives, where he was elected Speaker in 2006, before entering national politics.
Trump's opponent in the 2016 primaries
Before Donald Trump's first term, Marco Rubio ran in the Republican primaries, but he failed against the future president, with whom he had a tumultuous relationship. Initially a virulent critic, Marco Rubio gradually aligned his positions with those of Donald Trump, consolidating his place among the leaders of the Republican Party.
According to many observers, Marco Rubio is known for his interventionist approach to foreign policy, particularly towards China, Iran, Cuba and the Middle East, while having softened his positions to align with Donald Trump's more cautious view of military conflict.
An appointment with international implications
Currently chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Marco Rubio has experience and strong positions on major geopolitical issues. He was, for example, sanctioned by China in 2020 for his support for pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. Additionally, he is a vocal critic of the Cuban government and that of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, advocating for tougher sanctions and support for opponents of those regimes.
In fact, Marco Rubio could pay particular attention to Latin America, a region often neglected by American administrations. It thus supports a strengthening of economic and democratic ties in the region. A position which suggests that he will seek to reposition Latin America as a strategic priority for the United States.
What about the war in Ukraine?
Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, he said in September: “I am not on Russia's side, but the reality is that the war in Ukraine will end with a negotiated settlement. » However, Marco Rubio also opposed a major $95 billion military aid package for Ukraine, arguing that European allies should bear a fairer share of the defense burden.
Knowing that Donald Trump and Marco Rubio do not share the same vision of international relations, should we see this as a political calculation by the president-elect? Indeed, his pragmatism could be poorly received by certain allies of Donald Trump, who see in him a figure less aligned with the isolationist vision of the president-elect. But his nomination is also a significant political gesture towards Latino voters. “By appointing Marc Rubio, Donald Trump is sending a clear message: Latinos have their place at the top of his administration,” Mauricio Claver-Carone, former president of the Inter-American Development Bank and close to Marco Rubio, told Reuters. .
Related News :