The Secretary of State of the United States, Marco Rubio, has announced that he will not participate in the next top of the G20 in South Africa, scheduled in Johannesburg from 20 to 21 February 2025. The decision marks further stiffening in relations between Washington and Pretoria, in a context of growing tensions linked to South African agricultural policy and the priorities of the G20.
Rubio’s failure to participate after the recent declarations of President Donald Trump’s recent statementswho threatened to suspend funding for South Africa. The accusation is that the Cyril Ramaphosa government is expropriating lands and discriminating certain classes of people. South Africa, for its part, denied these statements, underlining that agricultural reform aims to correct the historical inequalities deriving from colonialism and apartheid.
The theme of land property is particularly delicate in South Africa. Currently, white landowners still have most of the agricultural lands, a situation that the government of Ramaphosa is trying to rebalance through a new legislation that allows the expropriation of lands “in the public interest”.
Rubio motivated his absence With a criticism of the political line adopted by South Africa and the Focus of the G20 on themes such as sustainability, solidarity and equality. “We cannot continue to support countries that adopt unfair and discriminatory policies under the pretext of social justice,” said Rubio in an official press release. The Secretary of State has connected these topics to the initiatives of diversity, equity and inclusion (gods) and climate change, themes that the Trump administration considers marginal compared to the strategic interests of the United States.
This position reflects the foreign policy of the current American government, which is progressively reducing its commitment to international initiatives received as not directly advantageous for the country. To confirm this trend, Rubio has recently announced a temporary suspension of most foreign aid, pending a revision of 90 days, arousing concerns between humanitarian organizations and human rights groups. “Every dollar sent abroad must serve American interests and not be wasted in projects without concrete benefits for our country,” he added.
Rubio’s choice could have significant consequences for the position of the United States on the global scene. The G20 is a key platform for the coordination of international economic policies, and the absence of the American secretary of state could weaken Washington’s influence on crucial issues such as global financial regulation, climate change and reduction of poverty.
On the other hand, the decision could strengthen the internal consent of the Trump Administration among the conservative voters, confirming the isolationist approach that has characterized US foreign policy in recent years.
