The United States issued a fierce condemnation of far-left extremism on Thursday, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged international allies to unite against what he labeled a “new wave of this old evil.”
Delivering the opening address at a ministerial conference titled “The Resurgence of Political Terrorism,” Rubio asserted that “far-left terrorism” had turned into a “blind spot” for global intelligence, largely due to the intense focus placed on jihadist networks following the September 11, 2001 attacks.
”Even today, the very idea that far-left terrorism could be a serious threat is treated as a right-wing fever dream or, worse, as a dangerous fascist conspiracy,” he said.
Highlighting a rise in leftist violence across Europe and America since 2016, Rubio advocated for enhanced international intelligence sharing to counter the ideology, which he characterized as “a poisonous resentment cloaked in the language of equality and justice.”
Rubio, a staunch anti-communist whose family emigrated from Cuba, further stated that far-left radicalism is ultimately fueled by a “hatred for civilization itself.”
The conference brought together delegations from more than 60 nations spanning Europe and Asia. Other prominent American officials addressing the gathering included US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.
Rubio underscored the severity of the threat by outlining the real-world violence attributed to these groups.
”You are here because your political leaders are being attacked and stabbed and shot in your streets,” Rubio told the delegates, “because your businesses have been bombed, because your railways have been sabotaged, because your police officers have been beaten and burned.”