Trump Team Headed To Panama
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to embark on his first official diplomatic mission next week, heading to Panama amidst growing tensions surrounding President Trump’s bold statements about the Panama Canal. The trip underscores the Trump administration’s continued focus on bolstering U.S. interests in the region, especially with concerns over Chinese influence in the strategic waterway.
The Panama Canal, a critical artery for global trade, has recently become a flashpoint in U.S.-Latin American relations. Trump has openly criticized Panama for allowing Chinese investments in the region, including the management of key ports. He has also warned that he would not rule out military action to retake the canal if necessary, citing unfair pricing for U.S. vessels and the growing threat of foreign control over such an essential global route.
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino has rejected these accusations, stating that the canal remains fully under Panama’s sovereignty and that China holds no direct control over its operation. Mulino strongly refuted the idea that any foreign nation is exerting influence over the canal, which Panama took control of in 1999 following the 1977 treaty with the U.S. This agreement formally ended American control but left the canal as a neutral zone for global use.
However, Rubio, a staunch supporter of Trump’s foreign policy, echoed concerns about China’s growing role in the region. During his confirmation hearings, Rubio remarked that while Panama technically controls the canal, China’s significant investments could give Beijing leverage to disrupt the canal’s operation in times of conflict, jeopardizing U.S. national security. “A foreign power today possesses the ability to turn the canal into a choke point,” Rubio warned, signaling the potential dangers of allowing foreign entities too much control over such an essential infrastructure.
Rubio’s trip to Panama is part of a larger diplomatic tour through Central America and the Caribbean, including visits to Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic. The trip is expected to focus on key issues such as illegal immigration and drug trafficking, but the stop in Panama highlights the Trump administration’s growing concern with maintaining control and influence over critical infrastructure in the Western Hemisphere.
As the U.S. seeks to protect its interests in a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape, Rubio’s trip sends a strong message about the administration’s commitment to ensuring Panama remains a partner, not a pawn, in the broader struggle for control in the Americas.