Marco Rubio Visits Caribbean, Commits to Foreign Aid Reform and Joint Security Efforts

Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the United States wants to foster a closer working relationship with countries in the Caribbean in a number of areas, including security, energy and aid. Mr. Rubio expressed these sentiments during last week's trip to the region, in which he made visits to Jamaica, Guyana, and Suriname. “We believe it is in our national interest to have a Caribbean region that is safe, stable, and prosperous,” he said in the latter country, his last stop of the trip. “There may be things that we can do in collaboration with one another,” he declared a day earlier in Jamaica. Seeking to reassure Caribbean leaders, Mr. Rubio promised that foreign aid to the region would continue. “The difference is, we want to provide foreign aid in a way that is strategically aligned with our foreign policy priorities and the priorities of our host countries and our nation states that we're partners with.” The State Department would be playing a greater role in the delivery of such ...