
US announces South Africa visa curbs over race claims
The visa restriction policy targets South African nationals who US Secretary of State Marco Rubio claims are responsible for "race-based discrimination" against white citizens.

The visa restriction policy targets South African nationals who US Secretary of State Marco Rubio claims are responsible for "race-based discrimination" against white citizens.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday the U.S. was announcing a new visa restriction policy

Secretary of State Marco Rubio says South Africa has not addressed US concerns over racial inequality.

It comes after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made a trip to South America last week, where he met with the conservative leaders of Peru, Colombia and Ecuador to pledge further support and cooperation.

The call underscores a strategic pivot towards diplomacy in the region, potentially influencing future U.S.-Iran relations and regional stability.

The news comes days after Colombia’s president, Abelardo De La Espriella, and the U.S. secretary of state, Marco Rubio, discussed stronger measures against drug trafficking.

Experts look at what Rubio's tour signals about the US push for closer cooperation with Latin America's new crop of conservatives.
Vice President JD Vance cheered on by audience at GOP midterms convention as Secretary of State Marco Rubio appears to back away from White House challenge

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose name has been floated as a possible 2028 Republican contender to succeed President Trump, said he has no plans to launch another bid for the White House. “I don’t know what the future holds, but I have no plans at this time,” Rubio said in an interview with Colombian…
Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have privately warnedTrump that the Iran conflict could extend through the remainder of his presidency

Rubio visits Ecuador and welcomes cooperation after campaign of unilateral strikes on alleged ‘narco-terrorists’ The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, gave new clarity on the approach toward combating drug trafficking in Latin American waters, saying the Trump administration was focused on working with allied countries and aligning with their laws but insisted the military would “still blow up ships if need be”. The public acknowledgment of a shift in US strategy comes a year after Washington began a campaign of unilateral deadly strikes against those it calls “narco-terrorists” operating boats in international waters. Continue reading...

Trump administration to seek extra funding from Congress to ‘dismantle’ Los Tiguerones over narcotics trafficking The US has designated Ecuador’s Los Tiguerones gang, which stormed a television station during a live broadcast in 2024, as a terrorist organisation as the Trump administration expands its campaign against narcotics traffickers it says are destabilising Latin America. The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, made the announcement in Quito, where he met Ecuadorian president Daniel Noboa, one of several rightwing allies of Donald Trump whom Rubio is courting as a security partner during a three-nation tour through Latin America that began on Tuesday. Continue reading...

When Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in South America this week, he carried a familiar message: The United States wants access to minerals and an expanded military presence in the region. That agenda is being welcomed by newly elected right-wing governments in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru that rose to power on hard-line security platforms […]

The sanctions on Los Tiguerones imposed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio are an increasingly common U.S. tactic, though they will likely not hurt the gang’s finances.

The sanctions on Los Tiguerones imposed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio are an increasingly common U.S. tactic, though they will likely not hurt the gang’s finances.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit friendly governments in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. But his support for the Venezuela oil deal is rankling some in the region.

The U.S. sanctions could strain international relations, hinder diplomatic efforts, and reshape global economic alliances involving Iran.

Centralized control under Rubio may streamline U.S. diplomacy, potentially affecting international negotiations and market perceptions.

Heightened tensions and economic ties in the Middle East may hinder U.S.-Iran diplomacy, affecting regional stability and market dynamics.

The administration's actions against the ICC may bolster Trump's political stability, reducing perceived risks of early removal from office.