In his first round of contacts as Secretary of State of the United States, Marco Rubio has prioritized the strengthening of strategic alliances with Europe, the Middle East and Latin America, but Spain It has not been included in this initial phasedespite housing two … Military bases shared with the United States in Rota and Morón.
In contrast, European countries that usually appear in a first batch of contacts, such as Poland and Italy, have been summoned, while others in southern Europe, such as Portugal or Greece, They have also been left.
For his part, Donald Trump opened his round of international contacts with the Saudi heir prince, Mohammed Bin Salman, with whom he addressed terrorism in addition to the economic ambitions of the kingdom.
With Nayib Bukele, the president then discussed illegal immigration and the combat of transnational criminals networks such as the Venezuelan Train of Aragua, praising abundantly The leadership of the Salvadoran President in the area.
Trump has later talked to the kings of Jordan, Abdalá II, and Bahrain, Hamad al Khalifa; British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has invited Washington.
Rubio, meanwhile, has held conversations with NATO leaders, such as general secretary Mark Rutte, and With Baltic Countries MinistersScandinavian and Eastern Europe, reinforcing the priority of Washington in the containment of Russia and the Strengthening of Continental Defense.
From the Middle East, the new head of American diplomacy has dialogued with key actors in the Gaza conflict, including the Foreign Ministers of Egypt, Catar, Israel and Moroccowith the aim of strengthening alliances and guaranteeing Stability in the region.
It highlights the inclusion of Morocco in this first round of contacts. Rubio talked Monday with Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, about safety cooperation, Rabat’s role in Gaza’s crisis and the consolidation of Abraham’s agreements, for which Morocco and other countries established diplomatic relations with Israel in 2020.
The presence of Morocco in this first batch of contacts underlines its growing weight in foreign policy of the United States and its role as a priority partner in stability in North Africa, displacing other countries traditionally closer to Washington in Europe, as is the case in Spain.
Relationship with Morocco
In his previous term, President Trump recognized the sovereignty of Morocco about the Western Sahara. The White House said that the decision was part of the agreement for the Restoration of ties between Morocco and Israel. There was no previous contact of Trump’s team with Spain, which lost Western Sahara as a colony in 1975.
Now, Trump has warned Spain of tariffs of up to 100% if it does not increase its defense expenditure, which is the lowest of NATO members, only 1.29% of the gross domestic product.
The absence of Spain in this first round of contacts raises doubts about its current weight on the outer agenda of Washington and its role in the Security strategy De Rubio, especially when key bases for US military projection in Europe and the Mediterranean depend on bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
The most recent conversations have been focused on Europe Strengthen security transatlantic and contain the influence of Russia.
Rubio talked on January 22, one day after being confirmed in the position by the Senate unanimously, with the winner of the Julio Venezuela elections, Edmundo González Urrutiaand with the opponent of the Chavista dictatorship María Corina Machado. The meeting was held by videoconference.
These conversations with leaders from Latin America, including the ministers of the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica, as well as with Venezuelan opposition figures, evidence Rubio’s interest in the region. His first trip will be to Panama, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic.
Trump has demanded a more favorable treatment in the maritime channel and has asked to stop the growing Chinese influence in the country’s infrastructure. Otherwise, he has warned that It will consider broken The Treaty to assign this route that connects the Atlantic with the Pacific and has suggested that it could recover it by force. Panama does not have armed forces.
Finally, calls to Asia-Pacific leaders, including those of China, South Korea and the Philippines, They show the growing concern of Washington for the security in the Indo-Pacific and its strategy to contain Chinese influence.
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