Rubio Snubs G-20 Meeting Citing South Africa’s Focus on Equality

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he won’t attend a Group of 20 summit in Johannesburg later this month, citing among his reasons South Africa’s efforts to address inequality.

“South Africa is doing very bad things. Expropriating private property. Using G20 to promote ‘solidarity, equality, & sustainability.’ In other words: DEI and climate change,” Rubio said in a post on X Wednesday.

Marco Rubio

Photographer: Oliver Contreras/Sipa/Bloomberg

It’s unusual for a secretary of state to skip a G-20 summit, and Rubio’s absence carries the risk of the US being left out of deliberations by some of the world’s wealthiest countries. His comments echo ...