U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that he will not be attending the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting, which is set to take place this month in the Republic of South Africa.
On Thursday, January 6, Rubio stated that he would not be traveling to Johannesburg for the G20 meeting.
“South Africa is doing very bad things,” he said.
Among the “bad things,” Rubio highlighted:
- The expropriation of private property;
- Using the G20 to promote “solidarity, equality, and sustainability” (DEI).
“My job is to promote America’s national interests, not to waste taxpayer money or nurture anti-Americanism,” the U.S. Secretary of State concluded.
The G20 countries include Argentina, Australia, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, and the United States. Two regional organizations—the European Union and the African Union—are also members.
On January 3, Trump stated that South Africa is engaging in “land confiscation” and “treating certain classes of people poorly.” In response, he announced that he was halting all further financial aid to the country until an investigation is completed.
According to the latest U.S. government data, the total amount of American aid to South Africa in 2023 was approximately $440 million.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, the current G20 chair, previously stated that he had congratulated Trump on his election victory and expressed hope for continued cooperation with the United States.
