Jesus Daniel Romero from Diario Las Américas for Poder & Dinero and FinGurú
The appointment of Marco Rubio as the 72nd Secretary of State of the United States on January 21, 2025, marked a defining moment in U.S. diplomacy. As the first Hispanic to hold this position, Rubio assumed duties under intense political pressure and amid an unstable global order.
It is noteworthy that on May 1, President Donald Trump announced that Rubio will also serve as "acting" national security advisor, another position that reflects the current administration's confidence in the head of U.S. diplomacy.
With crises erupting in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America, Rubio faced the enormous challenge of restoring U.S. strategic leadership while reforming a bureaucracy long accused of stagnation. In just 100 days, his actions — bold, controversial, and profoundly consequential — have transformed both the mission and the structure of the U.S. diplomatic apparatus (Psaledakis et al., 2025).
Global Crises and Strategic Positioning
Rubio's diplomatic debut coincided with a critical point in the war between Russia and Ukraine. Within weeks, he traveled to Ankara and Doha to facilitate indirect negotiations between Kiev and Moscow. Although a formal agreement has yet to be reached, his proposal for a neutral but sovereign Ukraine opened space for new discussions and reduced the intensity of the conflict.
In Asia, Rubio balanced deterrence and diplomacy. He authorized joint military deployments of the Navy and Coast Guard near Taiwan, and increased military funding for key Indo-Pacific allies. In the Middle East, his response to Houthi attacks on maritime routes included intelligence sharing and coalition building — actions that bolstered maritime security without directly committing to the conflict.
Restructuring the State Department
One of Rubio's most ambitious initiatives has been the aggressive restructuring of the State Department. Declaring that the agency was "overstaffed, outdated, and misaligned," he initiated a gradual 15% reduction in personnel through voluntary departures, and consolidated more than 100 functional offices into a more streamlined structure. A new Hemispheric Strategic Directorate was created to manage policy towards the Americas, intelligence coordination, and counter-narcotics diplomacy.
Rubio also cut internal diversity and inclusion initiatives, redirecting resources towards cyber diplomacy, counter-disinformation, and frontline diplomatic security. While reform advocates praised these measures, critics warn that they could weaken institutional expertise. Rubio responds: "the mission must take precedence over ideology."
Latin America: Priorities and Realignments
No region has experienced a more immediate change under Rubio than Latin America. Leveraging his decades of experience in the region, Rubio:
Reinforced cooperation with Colombia to intercept narco-submarines and weaken the cocaine supply chain, both at sea and in the Darién Gap.
Supported El Salvador and Guatemala with joint forces focused on dismantling transnational gangs.
Reinstated sanctions against Cuba’s military conglomerate GAESA and Venezuela's Cartel de los Soles, in addition to suspending visa interviews for citizens suspected of links to criminal groups like the Tren de Aragua.
His doctrine for Latin America is clear: U.S. security is linked to the hemispheric order, and that order begins with the rule of law.
Confronting China in the Hemisphere
Rubio has made combating Chinese influence a central pillar of his strategy for the Western Hemisphere. He has warned that Beijing's growing economic presence — including control of strategic ports, energy infrastructure, and digital networks — poses a long-term threat to regional sovereignty and U.S. interests.
In March, Rubio sent a diplomatic team to Panama to meet with Canal authorities and express concern over Chinese investment proposals linked to logistics centers near the canal. He has publicly opposed the transfer of critical infrastructure to Chinese state-owned enterprises and has pushed for a "regional infrastructure security framework" to assess projects funded by foreign actors.
He has also promoted alternatives to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, reviving U.S. development finance tools and offering Central American and Caribbean countries aid packages conditioned on digital transparency and trade diversification.
A New Human Rights Doctrine
Moving away from multilateral ambiguity, Rubio has centered religious freedom, protection for dissidents, and internet freedom as key pillars of the U.S. message. In a symbolic gesture, he welcomed dissidents from Iran, Cuba, and China to the State Department during his first month in office. Additionally, he linked foreign assistance to indicators of press freedom and criticized European allies for "hate speech" laws that he claims suppress political opposition.
Conclusion: Strategic Clarity in Times of Uncertainty
In 100 days, Marco Rubio has redefined what it means to be the United States' chief diplomat. His strategy — openly realistic, values-based, and hemisphere-focused — marks a radical departure from recent diplomatic orthodoxy. It remains to be seen whether history will remember him as a restorer or a disruptor. But one thing is certain: in times of global disorder, Rubio has chosen momentum over inertia, and vision over vagueness.
Verdict: Rubio's first 100 days have been decisive, mission-focused, and bold. While not without criticism, his approach has revitalized U.S. diplomacy with a direction and urgency seldom seen in recent years. Overall, his performance deserves a rating of 8.5 out of 10 — a high-impact beginning, ideologically firm and structurally transformative, that could redefine the role of the U.S. in the world.
References
Psaledakis, D., Landay, J., & Mohammed, A. (2025). Rubio overhauls State Department amid global uncertainty. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/rubio-state-department-overhaul-2025
U.S. State Department. (2025). Strategic Reorganization Report – February 2025.
González, M. (2025). The Rubio Doctrine for Latin America: Firmness with Conditions. Foreign Policy.
U.S. Coast Guard. (2025). Interceptions in the Eastern Pacific Increase Under New Diplomatic Initiatives.
Office of the Spokesperson. (2025). Statements from Secretary Rubio – March 12, 2025.
Published in the Miami Strategic Intelligence Institute.
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