Rubio presses Bukele to curb Chinese port influence, UN vote on Cuba

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele in a call to shield critical infrastructure from 'malignant foreign influences,' likely China, and to back a UN vote against Cuba. This marks a direct US push to counter Chinese footholds in Central American ports, though Bukele's response remains unstated. The outcome could shift regional alignment and port investment dynamics.