Making his debut as the top US diplomat, Marco Rubio has conducted most business entirely in Spanish, forging quick bonds with Latin American leaders.

After his first stop in Panama, Rubio described his meeting as "respectful" and suggested he quietly worked out solutions to address President Donald Trump's demands on the Panama Canal.

And how did he communicate his supposed diplomatic success? The State Department put out a brusque statement saying Rubio had laid down an ultimatum and later said Panama had agreed to give free passage to US government vessels -- triggering a heated denial.

So goes the paradox of Rubio. A personable former senator, he has embraced skills he honed over decades in politics, hashing out compromises and relying on friendships with his interlocutors.

But he has also learned to speak the language of Trump, brashly trumpeting emerging deals and making threats on social media, sometimes blaring in capital letters.

Rubio, the first Hispanic secretary of state, said it was no accident that he was paying his first trip to Latin America,........

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