Rubio travels to Caribbean as US expands influence

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet with Caribbean leaders today, as Washington looks to expand its influence over the region.

The White House has flexed its muscles across the Caribbean in recent months, capturing the president of Venezuela, intensifying an embargo on Cuba, and striking alleged drug-trafficking vessels.

The moves are part of the so-called Donroe Doctrine, the Trump administration’s plan to counter rising competition from China in the Western Hemisphere. But some regional leaders fear Washington’s unpredictability is making it harder to govern. “Small states thrive under a situation where there are rules and where there are norms,” an expert told The Washington Post.