New U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is breaking with tradition to make Latin America the destination for his first overseas trip later this week. Previous Secretaries of State typically prioritized Europe and Asia for their initial visits.

That’s probably a wise move given how quickly U.S. ties with a growing number of countries in the region are rapidly fraying over the forced repatriation of undocumented migrants, the freezing of U.S. aid, and the resurfacing of perceptions of American imperialism in a part of the world that still grapples with the historical trauma of U.S. intervention.