Rubio holds joint presser with Guyanese president

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived on Thursday in Guyana, the second leg of a three-nation tour of the Caribbean, as the Trump administration ramps up engagement in the Western Hemisphere to promote energy independence and curb illegal migration, drug trafficking and gang violence. Rubio was making a brief stop in Georgetown for talks with Guyanese President Irfaan Ali and other officials before traveling to Suriname for an even shorter visit to Paramaribo. Guyana, which has significant offshore oil deposits, could play a key role in the Republican administration’s attempts to wean the region from imports of Venezuelan energy, against which President Donald Trump has imposed major sanctions.