Rubio Starts Andean Tour in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Is this imperial shopping that undermines sovereignty or exactly the security cooperation the region needs?
Above: Marco Rubio at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 4. Image credit: Mehmet Eser/Anadolu/Getty Images
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
Rubio's Andean swing is imperial shopping. Southern Command and Israeli contractors are already embedding in oil fields, chokepoints and border zones no Latin American voter ever approved. Sovereignty is being traded for applause from Washington.
Pro-establishment narrative
Narcoterrorism is a hemispheric threat, and a secretary of state showing up in person to build security cooperation with Colombia, Ecuador and Peru should be celebrated. The agenda is plain: help Colombia recover from a deadly earthquake, dismantle trafficking networks and deepen trade that creates jobs on both ends. Standing with willing partners beats abandoning the region to cartels.
