Rubio flies to Caribbean for talks with regional leaders over Trump administration policies

Secretary of State Marco Rubio flies to the Caribbean on Wednesday for talks with regional leaders over the Trump administration’s policies regarding the area.Rubio is flying to St. Kitts and Nevis and will attend a summit of the Caribbean Community, CARICOM, after President Trump ordered a military operation last month to remove and arrest Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, increased aggressive tactics to combat alleged drug smuggling and put more pressure on Cuba, The Associated Press reported.
The summit is for leaders from the 15-nation bloc to debate pressing issues in the region.
CARICOM leaders have complained about the administration’s demands for them to accept third-country deportees from the U.S., reject Cuban medical missions and limit relations with China.
The newly elected prime minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Godwin Friday, said the Caribbean is “challenged from inside and out. International rules and practices that we have become used to over the years have changed in troubling ways.”
St. Kitts and Nevis prime minister and CARICOM chair, Terrance Drew, said during Tuesday’s opening ceremony that the region “stands at a decisive hour.”
“The global order is shifting,” Drew said. “Supply chains remain uncertain, energy markets fluctuate and climate shocks intensify.”
Bahamian Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell told the wire service Tuesday that he doesn’t know which topics will come up in talks with Rubio, but said he expects a discussion on the nature of the relationship with the U.S.
The State Department has not said which officials Rubio will meet Wednesday but that he intends to discuss ways to promote regional security and stability, trade and economic growth in meetings.
Caribbean leaders are also expected to talk about issues like security, reparations, climate change and financing, and a single market economy.

Read Full Article: https://justthenews.com/government/diplomacy/rubio-flies-caribbean-talks-regional-leaders-over-trump-administration?utm_source=justthenews.com&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=external-news-aggregators