U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a blunt assessment of leftist governance across Latin America during a visit to Ecuador this week, telling reporters in Quito that left-wing movements have “destroyed” Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua and are now operating in league with criminal organizations.
Rubio, who met with Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa on Wednesday, was asked whether he worried that the Monroe Doctrine could spark a resurgence of leftist movements in the region. He dismissed the premise, arguing that those movements have been present for decades and have left a trail of economic and political ruin.
“How did all these criminal gangs get in here? In collaboration with whom? With the left, with the leftist movement,” Rubio said, according to Breitbart. He also pointed to Colombia under former President Gustavo Petro, saying the country spent four years unable to effectively confront criminal groups and that his administration even had ties to them.
Rubio argued the problem is not hypothetical. “So those movements already exist,” he said, adding that the U.S. will not tolerate a region that eventually threatens American national security — describing transnational groups that are “more powerful than the government” and armed with government weapons, drones, and other military technology.
Rubio: ‘The Left Wing Destroyed’ Multiple Countries
Switching to English, Rubio expanded on his indictment, naming several countries he said have been devastated by leftist rule.
“The left wing destroyed Venezuela, the left wing destroyed Cuba, the left wing destroyed Nicaragua,” he said. “The left wing has basically destroyed every country they’ve gotten a hold of in the hemisphere.”
He also singled out Ecuador and Bolivia, saying Bolivia had suffered for 25 years under left-wing governance.
Beyond economic damage, Rubio emphasized what he described as an alliance between leftist political movements and narco-trafficking organizations. “They are aligned with them. They are allied with them. They permit them to conduct these activities in a nefarious alliance between them,” he said.
Rubio made clear that his primary responsibility is to the United States, and that if developments in Latin America threaten American national security, the U.S. will respond. He expressed optimism that the U.S. can now work with regional partners who share that view.
Cuban Foreign Minister Pushes Back
The remarks drew a sharp response from Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, who accused Rubio and the United States of attempting to “rewrite the history of the hemisphere, but it is stubborn,” according to Breitbart.
In a social media post, Rodríguez Parrilla wrote that the “destructive trajectory of U.S. imperialism and its alliance with the most reactionary governments in the region is well written and recorded.” He cited tens of thousands killed, disappeared, and tortured, the expansion of violence and crime, the persecution of social leaders and popular movements, and what he described as military interventions, usurpation of territories, appropriation of wealth, and exploitation of workers and peasants.
The exchange underscores the broader tensions between the U.S. and the three authoritarian governments Rubio has repeatedly criticized. Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua have all faced decades of U.S. sanctions and diplomatic pressure over their human rights records and economic policies.
Regional Tour Continues
Rubio’s stop in Ecuador is part of a broader Latin America tour that also includes Colombia and Peru. He arrived in Lima on Wednesday night and was expected to meet with Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori on Thursday. The trip appears designed to shore up alliances with conservative leaders in the region and build a united front against both leftist movements and transnational criminal organizations.
In Colombia, Rubio’s visit included a stop in Barranquilla on Tuesday, where he posed for a photo with a police officer before departing. His criticism of the Petro administration adds another layer to the already fractious relationship between Washington and Bogotá.
During his remarks in Quito, Rubio stressed the importance of partnership. “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.
Whether that partnership can effectively stem the influence of leftist movements and drug trafficking remains to be seen. But Rubio’s words signal that the U.S. intends to take a more assertive role in the hemisphere, and that the ideological battle over Latin America’s future is far from over.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/latin-america/2026/09/10/marco-rubio-says-leftism-destroyed-cuba-venezuela-nicaragua-left-misery-in-the-hemisphere/