Washington, Dec 20 (IANS) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States is placing renewed emphasis on security and stability in the Western Hemisphere, citing cooperation with regional partners to combat transnational crime.

“The goal here is to bring security and stability to the hemisphere,” Rubio said told reporters at his year-ender news conference.

He said many countries are working with Washington.

“All of these are nations that cooperate with us openly in search of stability in the region,” Rubio said, referring to Central America and the Caribbean.

Rubio highlighted efforts to counter organised crime.

“The single most serious threat to the United States from the Western Hemisphere is from transnational criminal groups, primarily focused on narco trafficking,” he said.

He said cooperation has expanded. “So the good news is we have a lot of countries in the region that openly cooperate and work with us to confront these challenges,” Rubio said.

Rubio said Venezuela remains the exception. “There’s one place that doesn’t cooperate, and it’s the illegitimate regime in Venezuela,” he said. He also referenced Haiti.

“We were looking for 5,500 forces. We already have pledges of up to 7,500 forces from a variety of countries,” Rubio said, referring to security assistance efforts.

He said the approach is comprehensive, “That’s the goal here, and it’s comprehensive and involves more than just one place.”

The US has increasingly framed Western Hemisphere policy around security cooperation, migration management and counter-narcotics, as instability drives displacement toward the US border.

Washington has sought deeper engagement with Latin American and Caribbean governments while maintaining pressure on regimes it accuses of undermining democracy.

--IANS

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