Disastrous Foreign Policy Ahead

What’s worse than Antony Blinken heading the State Department? Marco Rubio.

Photo by UX Gun on Unsplash

President-elect Donald Trump is wasting no time appointing what he thinks will be loyalists to key positions. During his first term, Trump made it clear that he disliked people near him who would challenge him. The world watched him replace more cabinet-level staff than the previous five presidents and ended his first term with an astounding 91% senior executive turnover rate. It appears he wants to try to limit that this time around.

It comes as no surprise that Stephen Miller has been appointed as deputy chief of staff for policy considering his constant role since 2016 driving the white-people-first race-baiting and divisive rhetoric for Trump. The appointment of Tom Homan as the “border czar” to direct Trump’s mass deportation efforts isn’t much of a surprise either considering Homan has been salivating at the idea of inflicting pain and suffering on immigrants for years. Now, he’s out for blood.

Enter Marco Rubio, Trump’s selection to head the Department of State (State). Rubio’s role will undoubtedly be as inhumane as Homan’s and as Project 2025 becomes Trump’s “America First” policy plan, the future does not bode well for those at the wrong end of U.S. foreign policy in countries like Palestine, Venezuela, or Cuba. While Rubio will ultimately maintain the status quo for longstanding policy, his bloodthirst for the Global South makes him dangerous.

Rubio will likely toe the line with China and continue the escalatory rhetoric leading to political confrontation between it and the United States. He will also likely escalate warmongering language that could lead to a disastrous confrontation between Iran and Israel potentially involving U.S. soldiers on the battlefield. Rubio inherits a full plate from Antony Blinken and he is expected continue to bolster the U.S.’s role in the ongoing genocide of Palestinians.

While pundits and lawmakers quietly celebrate Rubio’s selection as they consider him someone they can work with, voters should not ignore his desire to cause suffering

Palestine

In the early days of Israel’s brutal assault on Gaza beginning its campaign that overwhelmingly targets civilians, Rubio said on X (formerly Twitter) that, “Israel has no choice but to eliminate Hamas. And America’s role is to resupply Israel with the military materials they need to finish this job,” a position he stands by today while blaming Hamas for civilian casualties in Gaza. He has also stood opposed to any ceasefire deals dating back to November 2023.

Nearly all of his rhetoric related to Israel’s actions ties back to the Islamic Republic of Iran. His language leads us to believe that he would not be opposed to further sanctions and even escalating to a potential hot war via their U.S. proxy of Israel. In April, he said, “The primary source of violence, conflict, suffering and instability in the Middle East is the criminal “Islamic Republic” regime which has also oppressed the people of #Iran for almost 25 years.”

Rubio, like Blinken and other high-ranking government officials alongside many lawmakers in Congress, wants to to ignore the history and who is ultimately responsible for the current conflict. They ignore how Israel has led multiple bombing campaigns in four countries and has abandoned the hostages it continues to use to justify the genocide. Rubio’s anti-Arab beliefs have him thinking this makes him a hero. History will not be kind.

Meanwhile, current State officials appear to find comedy in the slaughter, a cultural issue within the government that is unlikely to change as former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, a Christian nationalist and avowed Zionist is set to become the U.S. ambassador to Israel.

Venezuela

Marco Rubio is expected to have a larger role in Latin America than the current department under Blinken. He has often called to “take the gloves off” against Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro. Despite Maduro enjoying broad support from Venezuelans at home, much to the dismay of the U.S., like previous heads of State, presidents, and lawmakers, Rubio refers to Maduro as a dictator and narcotrafficker. It should be noted that these are common refrains that have often been used against many leaders the U.S. considers unfavorable.

With the recent elections and the attempt to oust Maduro with data that appears fraudulent, there’s little doubt Rubio doesn’t use the uncertified election tally sheets that can’t be validated as justification for a coup. It’s the same tactic used when the U.S. tried and failed to install Juan Guaido as the interim president of Venezuela in 2019 by using fraudulent election data and an attempted coup.

Today, a violent coup is already in play months before Rubio takes control. He will likely be involved in escalating the current efforts to in yet another attempt that is likely to fail. They fail because like Cubans, Venezuelans aren’t interested in going to war with each other at the behest of its imperialist neighbor. They are keenly aware about how the U.S. exploits their wealth and resources – the first Trump administration stole billions from the people.

The U.S. will likely fail to topple Maduro as citizens are unlikely to let that happen. For that, the U.S. will sanction them and make the people suffer as it has done in the past.

Cuba

It almost goes without saying that Cubans are about to suffer much more with Rubio at the helm of State. If there’s anything he loves to do, it’s making Cubans go hungry for not rising up to overthrow its government. Cubans on the island will not go to war with each other nor are they interested in further destabilizing the country. This is a topic I’ve covered in great detail over the years through hundreds of sources on the island.

If something stands in the way of a coup, it’s the people. Cubans deserve to have whichever government they choose and the United States should have no say in the matter. Cuba’s democracy, despite the rhetoric, is one that U.S. voters would likely admire. And like Venezuela, Cuba does not fit the definition or classification of a dictatorship and hasn’t for decades.

If after more than six decades of unilateral oppression that is condemned by the entire world except for two countries (U.S. and Israel) you haven’t achieved your goal, the battle was lost a long time ago. Both the Cuban government and its people have been and are willing to work with the U.S. government and partner with it on myriad issues and trade. That the U.S. continues to uphold its barbaric embargo while attempting terrorist attacks is astounding.

It is unlikely the U.S. succeeds in overthrowing the Cuban government.

Conclusion

Despite the celebration with the Washington DC bubble, the world will be watching Rubio and the U.S. Department of State to see what happens once he takes over. For the Middle East and Latin America, we can already tell what’s most likely to come won’t be good.

Unless of course, you’re on the side of the oppressor. Then, you may share in the joy government officials seem to experience from making people suffer.

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I’m a freelance journalist. Find my work at Latino Rebels, Unicorn Riot, The Antagonist Magazine, and more. I’m also on TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon, and Threads. To support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber or donate on Venmo, PayPal, or CashApp