Today at 16:31
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued an ultimatum to Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino during their meeting, demanding a reduction of Chinese influence in the Panama Canal zone and warning of possible measures if immediate changes are not made.
Multiple sources, including the U.S. State Department, Reuters, and the Associated Press reported this.
Rubio stated that the current situation, in which the Chinese Communist Party maintains control and influence over the Panama Canal, poses a direct threat to its operation and violates the Treaty on the Permanent Neutrality of the Canal.
He informed Panamanian officials that “U.S. President Donald Trump has approved a preliminary decision that the current influence and control of the Chinese Communist Party over the Panama Canal zone constitutes a threat to the canal itself and a violation of the Treaty on Permanent Neutrality and Operation of the facility.”
The U.S. Secretary of State also made it clear that “this status quo is unacceptable.” Rubio warned that if immediate changes are not made, the United States “will demand the implementation of measures necessary to protect its rights under the Treaty.”
“The United States cannot and will not allow the Chinese Communist Party to continue its effective and growing control over the Panama Canal,” Rubio wrote on social media platform X.
During a press conference, Trump told reporters that the U.S. would “take back” the Panama Canal or “something very powerful will happen.”
“China controls the Panama Canal, even though it was handed over to Panama, not China. They have broken the agreement, and we are going to take it back—or something very powerful will happen.” Trump stated.
Trump has not ruled out the use of military force against Panama, which has drawn criticism from both Washington’s Latin American allies and its adversaries. During a Senate hearing last week, U.S. officials stated that the dispute over the canal could lead to fines and restrictions on Panamanian-flagged ships entering American ports, according to Reuters.
Rubio also emphasized the “importance of joint efforts” to address the illegal migration crisis in the region and thanked Mulino for his “support of the joint repatriation program, which has reduced illegal migration through the Darién Gap.”
“This meeting marks a significant step in revitalizing strategic relations between the United States and Panama in line with President Trump’s vision,” the U.S. State Department said in a press release.
Historical Context:
The Panama Canal is an artificial waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It stretches approximately 80 km and is one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes. Each year, about 14,000 vessels carrying over 300 million tons of cargo pass through the canal.
Control of the canal was transferred to Panama by the United States in 1999 under the Torrijos-Carter Treaty, signed in 1977. The canal holds strategic importance for global trade and U.S. national security, as it shortens shipping routes and significantly accelerates global transportation.
Read also: Trump: We Are Negotiating with Ukraine and Russia
