Washington, Sep 10 (IANS) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has accused left-wing movements of damaging countries across Latin America and aligning themselves with criminal drug-trafficking organisations that threaten regional governments and American security.
Rubio made the remarks during an interaction with reporters at the US Embassy in Quito, Ecuador, on Wednesday (local time).
“Left-wing groups have already been here, and they’ve destroyed the hemisphere,” Rubio said when asked whether US policies based on the Monroe Doctrine could fuel the rise of left-wing movements in Latin America.
“The left wing destroyed Venezuela, the left wing destroyed Cuba, the left wing destroyed Nicaragua. The left wing has basically destroyed every country they’ve gotten a hold of in the hemisphere,” he said.
Rubio also criticised the previous governments of Ecuador and Colombia. He alleged that some left-wing groups had worked with criminal organisations involved in narcotics trafficking.
“These left-wing groups are actually in alliance with these criminal narco-trafficking organisations,” he said. “They are aligned with them. They are allied with them. They permit them to conduct these activities in a nefarious alliance between them.”
His comments came during a broader defence of Washington’s cooperation with governments in the region, including those facing allegations concerning human rights abuses and disappearances.
Rubio rejected the suggestion that such allegations could weaken goodwill towards the United States.
He said narcotics-linked terrorist groups were responsible for grave abuses, including murder, extortion and attacks on small businesses.
“We’re going to choose on the side of leaders that are going to be serious about taking these groups on and eliminating them once and for all,” he said.
Rubio warned that powerful transnational criminal organisations could eventually pose a direct security threat to the United States.
“I work for the United States of America,” he said. “And if a threat in this region is emerging to the national security and national interest of our country, we are going to address it.”
The secretary said Washington welcomed the opportunity to work with regional leaders who shared its concerns.
“What we’re very happy about is that we can now address it in partnership with other presidents and other leaders in this region that feel the same way,” he said.
Rubio also singled out Mexico as a serious challenge because of the scale of the country and the strength of its cartels. He said Mexico had done more than before to confront those organisations, but added that its efforts were still inadequate.
“Our hope and our intent is to do it in partnership with Mexico. That’s the ideal,” Rubio said. “But eventually, that threat will have to be confronted, one way or the other.”
–IANS
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