I'm John Batchel with Professor Aben Ellis, my colleague.

He's at the U.S. Army War College.

We're discussing the New World Report.

And the New World Report has a new Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, the successful senator from Florida, is now leading the Americas.

And I have reason to believe that he's extremely well-informed of major stories, especially the adversaries who are using their reach into

Caracas, Havana, Managua, and other capitals to undermine governance in the Americas.

Professor, you mentioned Marco Rubio.

He was unanimously approved by the U.S. Senate 99 and nothing and is now at state.

Is it clear to everyone listening to the new secretary that he's keen on cleaning up the Americas. Thank you.

Well, clearly Rubio got a very strong message from the Senate of their faith in him,

in part, of course, because he has long been one of them serving on the Eastern Foreign Relations Committee.

But one also has to believe that that 99 to zero vote was also a vote, even despite some

possible concerns among some of the senators of their faith in Marco Rubio.

So it was interesting to see that certainly Marker Rubio has strongly echoed President

Trump's priorities for the region in terms of defining everything that now the State Department

does in terms of whether it supports U.S. security, U.S. prosperity, et cetera. And so redefining that framework, certainly

Marco Rubio brings to bear an unprecedented level of knowledge of the Americas, not only because

of his Cuban-American heritage, but because he has focused on affairs of the region during

his Senate career and long before.

Certainly brings something that reinforces, I think, President Trump's concerns over the dictatorships in the Americas,

and even more so with respect to not only dictatorships in Cuba, but Venezuela and in Nicaragua and elsewhere and an understanding of the need to push back strongly against those actors.

I think we'll also continue to see on policies such as Mexico, an understanding of the cultural sensitivities, and yet the need to push for the good treatment of Americans.

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