The recovery of the Panama Canal Control is not simply a declaration of intentions by Donald Trump. Republicans in the Capitol have initiated the procedures to formally request the Panamanian Government, through a resolution, to cut their ties … Politicians and economic with China. This movement represents a first step to investigate and verify the possible interference of Beijing in the region, in an effort to reaffirm the strategic influence of the United States in the continent.
This Thursday, the Republican Senator Eric Schmitt He presented the resolution that urges Panama to separate China from their port businesses and critical infrastructure. The proposal has the support of leading conservative senators such as Tom Cotton and Roger Marshall, while some Democrats, including Jon Fetterman, have also expressed their support.
The Senate seeks to align with the recent comments of President Trump about the channel. In his investiture speech, Trump criticized the delivery of the channel to Panama under the treaties signed by former president Jimmy Carter, qualifying it as a “foolish gift” and ensuring that the Panamanian promise to the United States has been violated. He pointed out that the rates imposed on American ships are unfair, even affecting the US Navy, and accused China of de facto controlling the channel. Trump emphasized: “We do not give it to China, we give it to Panama, and we will recover it.”
Panama, meanwhile, has responded that the Chinese port operator Hutchison Port Holdings maintained a contract since 1997 to manage facilities at both ends of the channel, without direct control over its operation. Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino firmly rejected Trump’s claims, underlining Panamanian sovereignty about the channel. In recent statements, he said that Panama will not yield to external pressures and described the idea of an American shot as a proposal out of place.
Senator Schmitt and other Republicans propose to strengthen the treaties with Panama to guarantee the neutrality of the channel, in addition to proposing the expulsion of Chinese state entities of critical infrastructure. The resolution also mentions the need for significant investments by the United States to modernize channel infrastructure and offer competitive alternatives to projects financed by China in Latin America.
Rubio’s trip through the region
A great critic of the growing Chinese presence in Latin America is Marco Rubio, who until this week was a senator for Florida and now occupies the position of diplomatic chief in Trump’s second mandate. Rubio announced that his first international trip will include stops in Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic and, also, Panama.
The visit to Panama is especially remarkable due to the controversy over the channel and its relevance on the immigration route from South America to the border between Mexico and the United States. This context makes the Central American country a crucial actor within the migratory negotiations that the new administration has promised to prioritize.
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