35 minutes ago
Last Updated:December 04, 2025, 07:26 IST
US Secretary Marco Rubio said South Africa operated with spite, division, and radical agendas that failed to produce economic growth.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (IMAGE: AFP)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticised South Africa’s G20 presidency while declaring that the 2026 summit would be hosted by America in Miami.
In a post on X, Rubio said, “South Africa operated with spite, division, and radical agendas that failed to produce economic growth. America’s G20 will propel us forward with innovation, entrepreneurship and perseverance that makes America great."
His remarks have deepened the diplomatic discord already simmering after Washington skipped this year’s G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg.
US confirms 2026 G20 to be held in Miami
Rubio’s announcement formally confirmed that the United States will host the G20 Leaders’ Summit in December 2026, its first time hosting the grouping of major economies since 2009. The event will coincide with America’s 250th anniversary, which the Secretary of State said would allow the country to showcase the values that have shaped its global economic leadership.
He noted that the milestone year would highlight “innovation, entrepreneurship and perseverance", framing these qualities as central both to America’s success and to the G20’s future direction.
US absence from Johannesburg Summit
The diplomatic backdrop to Rubio’s declaration remains sensitive. The United States did not attend the G20 leaders’ meeting hosted by South Africa on 22-23 November. The boycott followed repeated claims by former President Donald Trump, widely discredited internationally, that South Africa’s Black-majority government mistreats white citizens.
Trump had also asserted that South Africa would not be invited to the 2026 G20 in Florida, accusing South Africa of refusing to pass the presidency to a senior U.S. embassy representative at the summit’s closing ceremony. South African officials strongly denied this, insisting that the presidency had been formally transferred to an American diplomat in accordance with protocol.
South Africa condemns US position
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa described Washington’s absence as “regrettable" and firmly rejected Trump’s warnings about exclusion from the next summit. He has emphasised that its G20 presidency was conducted properly and that suggestions to the contrary were unfounded.
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Location :
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
First Published:
December 04, 2025, 07:12 IST
News world ‘Radical Agendas’: Marco Rubio Slams South Africa’s G20 Presidency, Announces US As 2026 Host
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