Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Costa Rican Foreign Minister Arnoldo André today to reaffirm the importance of the U.S.-Costa Rica relationship in forging a hemisphere that is safer, stronger,

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Central America for his first trip as the top US diplomat. Rubio is expected to depart late next week for Panama, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.

State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said Rubio would travel to Panama as well as Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic.

The visit follows controversial remarks by President Donald Trump last month claiming that "wonderful soldiers of China" were operating the Panama Canal "lovingly but illegally." Trump also threatened that the US would "retake" the key canal, which it originally built in the early 20th century.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will embark on his first international trip as America's chief diplomat next week, visiting five countries in Central America and the Caribbean. The trip, which includes stops in Panama,

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio would travel to Panama and several other countries in the region later next week, his spokesperson said on Thursday.

Marco Rubio will head overseas late next week; he's also scheduled to visit Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will pay his first trip starting next week to Central American nations including Panama, where President Donald Trump has threatened to seize the Panama Canal, a spokeswoman said Thursday.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is traveling to Panama late next week in his first official diplomatic trip late, amid heightened tensions over President Trump’s threats to retake the Panama

Marco Rubio will make his first trip as US secretary of state to Central American nations including Panama, a spokeswoman said Thursday, after President Donald Trump threatened to seize the Panama Canal and clamped down hard on migration.

Tensions between the U.S. and China have been rising for some time now, and Rubio's appointment has widely been seen as a sign that Trump plans to maintain a hard line on China during his second term. One of the most outspoken China hawks in Washington, Rubio has introduced several bills targeting the Chinese Communist Party.