Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday evening he was boycotting the G20 meeting in South Africa scheduled for later this month over the country's controversial land expropriation law.

The boycott is a blow to Canada’s hopes of bolstering links between the G20 and G7 groups during Canada’s presidency of the G7 this year. Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly was in South Africa last August to discuss how to expand those connections.

South Africa is hosting a meeting of foreign ministers of the G20 group of countries from Feb. 20-21 in Johannesburg. The country holds the G20 presidency until November. Trump said on Sunday, without citing evidence, that South Africa is confiscating land and certain classes of people were being treated very badly.