Secretary of State Marco Rubio continues to impress; however, his response to the Wall Street Journalist narrative engineer is absolutely brilliant.

Following visits to Colombia and Ecuador, Secretary Rubio is in Peru today to discuss the “Shield of The Americas”; a joint collaboration and intensely strategic partnership between the United States and Latin American countries to eliminate corruption, arrest narcotraffickers and remove all corrupt elements.

During a news conference with Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori, Secretary Rubio addressed the Peruvian people in both English and Spanish as he explained the specifics of the Shield and what the partnership entails.  During the Q&A session of the press conference, a Wall Street Journal narrative engineer asked a question about sovereignty and the U.S. acting unilaterally if Peru didn’t agree to address the threat.

Essentially, Rubio responded by telling the journalist to stop working for the ‘Bureau of Imaginary Problems’.  I have prompted the video at the point of the question and then provided the transcript from that moment to the end.  The overall English audio-dub is not bad, so the entire presser is well worth watching:

[Transcript] – QUESTION:  Vera Bergengruen with The Wall Street Journal.  Mr. Secretary, you have stressed that the members of the Shield of the Americas are sovereign partners.  But if one of these governments refuses to act against one of these groups that Washington deems a terrorist threat, does the U.S. reserve the right to act unilaterally, including here in Peru?

And President Fujimori:  (Via interpreter) The question wanted more information about the partner of the Shield of the Americas.  This will include to collaborate with the United States here in the country.

SECRETARY RUBIO:  I’ll answer that question in English and Spanish.  I don’t know if you guys heard it.  Basically, the gist of the question is, if you’re a member of the Shield and refuse to act, does the United States – will the United States act unilaterally?

Well, if we were going to act unilaterally, why would we need the Shield?  We’re not – if we were interested in acting unilaterally, we have the capacity to act unilaterally.  The reason why we’re not doing it is because we want to do it with our partners.  It’s the most effective way to do it.  For us to confront transnational criminal groups, we need to do it inside the sovereign territory of countries, and we want to partner with those countries.  It’s in their interest to do it.  That is why we have the Shield.  That is why the Shield exists.

People make up these problems that don’t exist.  They’re getting ahead of themselves with these – these ridiculous sort of things that no one’s even contemplating.  The bottom line is the reason why we have a Shield is because we choose to act in partnership with our partners.  So it’s very simple.  This is not very complicated; let me explain this to you.  It’s a very, very simple equation.  We have a country that says we want to defeat these criminals, these terrorists, these evil, despicable human beings; we want to defeat them.  We want to work with America to defeat them.  And so we say, of course we want to work – what should we say to them?  No, we don’t want to work with you?  No, we’d like you not to do anything about these groups?

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This is one spectacular impromptu presser by Secretary of State Marco Rubio following discussions with Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa at Carondelet Palace.  All of it is direct, deliberate, targeted and without any reserved remarks held back due to regional sensibilities.

Secretary Rubio emphatically outlined how the United States is going to work with Latin-America officials to remove narco-terrorism in all its forms from the region like “cutting out a cancer.”  Rubio walks through the issues and the importance of direct confrontation, including the use of the U.S. military, the U.S. intelligence agencies and every element of power at our disposal to help leaders like President Daniel Noboa fight the corrupt gangs and domestic terrorist networks within the region.  Rubio’s strength of statements is exceptional.

These remarks come on the heels of the State Dept today designating corrupt Ecuadorian officials as facilitators of Foreign Terrorist Organizations [SEE HERE]. He also praised the government of Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa as being “the most involved and aggressive partner” the US has had in its work dismantling criminal networks and “bringing people to justice that have never been brought to justice before”.  Rubio outlined all of it, soup to nuts. This is a must watch presser:

STATE DEPT – […] Pablo Ramírez Erazo, former director of Ecuador’s Prison Authority; Wilman Terán Carillo, former judge on Ecuador’s National Court of Justice; and Ronaldo Xavier Guerrero Cruz, former criminal judge on Ecuador’s Judicial Council, each significantly abused their former government positions by accepting bribes from gangs linked to narco-terrorist organizations.  In exchange for bribes, these officials interfered with judicial, electoral, or public processes on behalf of Ecuadorian gangs linked to designated FTOs Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), Los Choneros, and Los Lobos.  

Pablo Bolívar Muentes Alarcón, former member of the Ecuadorian National Assembly; María Fabiola Gallardo Ramia, former President of the Guayas Provincial Court; Johann Marfetán Medina, former criminal judge of the Guayas Provincial Court; and Mayra Carolina Salazar Merchán, former public relations officer of the Guayas Provincial Court, each abused their former public positions by accepting bribes in exchange for interfering with judicial processes to benefit narco-terrorist organizations like Los Choneros and the Sinaloa Cartel, and their criminal facilitators. (SOURCE)

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Earlier today U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio participated in a joint signing ceremony with Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella at a Strategic Civil Nuclear Cooperation and Critical Minerals Framework discussion. Both leaders signed the Memorandum of understanding and delivered remarks to the assembled media.

Secretary Rubio delivered the majority of his remarks in Spanish for the audience and media.  His bilingual skills come in very handy as Secretary Rubio travels Latin America carrying forth the U.S. strategic policy for the western hemisphere. Video and Transcript Below:

[Transcript] – MODERATOR:  (Via interpreter) Good afternoon.  Good afternoon.  The Presidency of Colombia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would like to welcome you to the – to the ceremony of two memorandums of understanding between the Government of Colombia and the Government of the U.S. of America.

We are pleased to have His Highness President Abelardo De La Espriella, who is the president of Colombia, that’s going to be in this act as the witness – as a witness of honor.  And we would also like to greet Omar Bula Escobar, who is the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, and His Excellency Marco Rubio, who is the Secretary of State of the United States of America, who are going to sign both agreements.

(In English) Good afternoon.  The Presidency of the Republic of Colombia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcome you to the signing ceremony of two memoranda of understanding between the Government of the Republic of Colombia and the Government of the United States of America.  We are honored by the presence of His Excellency Abelardo De La Espriella, President of the Republic of Colombia, who joins us as witness of honor.  We also welcome His Excellency Omar Bula Escobar, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, and the Honorable Marco Rubio, Secretary of State of the United States of America, who will sign both instruments.

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Earlier today Secretary Rubio briefed the media pool from Homestead Air Reserve Base [😁] as he prepared for a trip to Latin America.  For the specific purpose and intents of the trip, Secretary Rubio directed the media attention to the Western Hemisphere approach outlined in the 2026 National Security Strategy [See Page, 15].

The video and transcript are below:

[Transcript] – SECRETARY RUBIO:  So this is an important trip, obviously.  We’re going to go visit three countries strongly aligned with the United States.  We have a lot of common interests with them, both taking on regional transnational criminal terrorism and also economic engagements.  We’re hoping to wrap up good, solid trade deals with all three of these countries in the foreseeable future.  And of course, a lot of strong cultural links.

So I think it’s part of a trend that you’re seeing in the Western Hemisphere of alignment with the U.S. and U.S. interests.  If you read our National Security Strategy – I’m sure all of you have read it very carefully page by page – it outlines one of our priorities is strengthening our presence in the Western Hemisphere.  And I think this trip and these meetings, as much as anything else, is continuing to further that goal as part of that strategy.

QUESTION:  Secretary Rubio, why not travel to Venezuela on this trip?  As you mentioned, this is all about the Western Hemisphere.

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Speaking without a prepared script or teleprompter, here is the transcript from Secretary of State Marco Rubio speech to the Foundry School.

We either reindustrialize our national economy, moving completely away from the ‘service driven’ narrative of years past, or we will forever consign ourselves to economic servitude.  This is also the American ideological perspective that undeniably affirms our baseline reason for cutting ties with Canada.

[TRANSCRIPT] – SECRETARY RUBIO: “Thank you. Thank you, all of you, first of all, for being here today. Thank you – Jacob Helberg’s doing a phenomenal job. Everybody at our department is doing a great job, and I’m very proud of the work the State Department is putting in into these and other initiatives.

One of the things we really wanted to do in our time here, and one of the reasons behind many of the reforms we undertook, is to allow us to have a State Department that could move at the speed of relevance, which is something we used to say all the time. Now it’s become almost a cliche, but it really is important – because world affairs are moving so quickly, economic developments are moving so quickly, and so much of that is internationalized, and it involves what we do around the world as well.

And so, I’m very proud of everybody at the Department of State and all the work that they’re doing to be a part of this initiative, along with our partners in the other agencies, because this truly is an interagency challenge that we’re facing.

What is the challenge that we’re here to talk about today? Let me put it to you this way: I think we made a terrible mistake in this country – not – many years ago, under people that were in charge at the time, especially at the end of the Cold War. And that was the idea that the ability to make things no longer mattered. And no matter – it didn’t matter any longer where things were made. They were to be made in the most efficient place at the lowest possible cost. That meant more profits for the company, lower costs for the consumers, and that was the way the world would work. There was this fantasy, really, that the whole world would become a free enterprise, democracies, and that everyone would look us.”

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This morning the Trump administration launched the Foundry School, a national program to train the entrepreneurs, engineers, technicians, and industrial leaders needed to rebuild American manufacturing. [Press Release Here]

“President Trump’s reindustrialization agenda has already brought trillions of dollars in industrial investment to American soil. Foundry School will focus on turning that investment into jobs. American manufacturers will need an estimated 3.8 million skilled workers by 2033 in semiconductors, defense, energy, and beyond, and Foundry School exists to make sure Americans fill those jobs. The program will put American workers first by equipping them with the skills needed to bring manufacturing jobs home and build careers in industries critical to our nation’s economic security.”

This critically important initiative launched today with the full support of the administration including remarks by both Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. ‘Industrial Security Is National Security’, noted Vance. ‘We Lost Our Ability to Make Things’ Rubio warned as both explain the importance of the objective.  WATCH:

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio has quietly been the lead on this initiative.  The discussions with Venezuela were working along slowly in the background as the negotiations with Canada on trade were proceeding.  Today, Canadian oil is replaced.

BREAKING NEWS: The United States of America has just entered into an Agreement with the Country of Venezuela on, THE BIGGEST OIL DEAL IN WORLD HISTORY! At my direction, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, working closely with Highly Respected Interim President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, and, through a partnership with private business, have secured majority U.S. control of more than 65 BILLION BARRELS of proven Oil Reserves in Venezuela, at no cost to the American Taxpayer.

This Historic Transaction MORE THAN DOUBLES American Oil Reserves, greatly increases our Oil Supply, and will substantially lower Gas Prices for all Americans, long into the future, while helping to continue to set Venezuela on a course toward Tremendous Success and Great Prosperity. This Transaction will greatly strengthen the already growing relationship between Venezuela and the United States! Thank you for your attention to this groundbreaking matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

~President DONALD J. TRUMP

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio has suspended all international visa reviews and interviews with applicants until all of the consulate staff undergo training on the appropriate review process.  The intent is to proactively identify visa applicants who are seeking temporary visas with the intent of claiming asylum status or similar permanent migration.

Each consular staff agent and officer is being tasked with scrutinizing applications to ensure the applicant does not become a “public charge” after entry.

WASHINGTON – The Trump administration has directed U.S. embassies and consulates around the world to postpone immigrant visa interviews while consular officers complete training on new public-charge guidance, temporarily stalling applications that have reached the interview stage.

The State Department told diplomatic posts to reschedule immigrant visa interviews until consular officers complete the training on how to evaluate whether an applicant is likely to become a public charge.

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Two significant media reports on the topic of immigration today.

The first is an AP report showing the State Dept is planning to revoke 200,000 visas that were given after illegal entrants claimed asylum status.  The second is DHS requiring $100,000 payment for each H1B visa sought by companies to bring in foreign workers.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is preparing to revoke the business and tourism visas of up to 200,000 foreigners who have applied for or are currently seeking asylum status in the United States. If it happens, the move would be the largest single mass revocation of visas in U.S. history and would likely face legal challenges.

Unless challenged or revised, the State Department is expected to announce in the coming weeks the revocation of so-called B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 whose holders have sought asylum or are now seeking asylum, according to State Department documents obtained by The Associated Press and two U.S. officials. The action will be taken in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security.

“We are coordinating with DHS to identify and revoke the nonimmigrant visas of foreigners who have come to the United States claiming to be short-term visitors, but then file for asylum to stay here permanently,” said State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott. (more)

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Robert Gilman, an English teacher and Marine Corps veteran, was detained by Russian police while traveling to the U.S. embassy in Moscow in January 2022 and charged with disorderly conduct, drunkenness and assaulting a police officer, which his advocates strongly denied.

Via Truth Social – “I am proud to announce that American Citizen Robert Gilman, a former United States Marine, is coming HOME! In a well known Media story, Robert was imprisoned in Russia in 2022, during the Biden Administration. After my discussions with President Vladimir Putin, Russia has agreed to release him, very much on a Humanitarian Basis. We appreciate this decision, and the fact that Russia asked for no one in return — No exchange took place. Robert will land at Andrews Air Force Base, in Washington, D.C., tonight, where my Representatives, some of whom are on the plane with him, will welcome Robert back to THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!

I just spoke to him, and he had one request — A GREAT cheeseburger when he lands. I will take care of that! During my Administration, we have prioritized bringing home Americans Detained Abroad, and have done so at a level never seen before, returning hundreds of people to their families. We have also freed many non Americans who were under capture in different countries throughout the World. Robert Gilman has been reunited with his wonderful mother, Nancy, who is also on the plane with him, and will soon get to see all of his loved ones. Thank you to my incredible Team, including Special Envoy for Peace Missions, Steve Witkoff, Special Envoy for Hostage Response, Adam Boehler, Senior Director for Counterterrorism, Sebastian Gorka, Jared Kushner, and the many others who made this possible. GOD BLESS AMERICA!” ~ President DONALD J. TRUMP

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