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US Secretary Of State Marco Rubio Begins Panama Diplomatic Tour Amid Tensions Over Canal

Rubio’s first diplomatic trip focuses on US-Panama relations, addressing Trump’s canal claims, migration, and anti-drug cooperation, despite Panama’s firm stance on canal sovereignty.

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US Secretary Of State Marco Rubio Begins Panama Diplomatic Tour Amid Tensions Over Canal

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio begins his first foreign trip by visiting Panama. During his visit, he will likely discuss important issues, including migration, drug trafficking, and the ongoing dispute over the Panama Canal. His visit comes following a controversial demand from President Donald Trump to have the control of the vital waterway returned to the United States-a request which Panama’s government has firmly rejected.

Rubio’s diplomatic mission, that will also include El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic, is more diplomatic and less confrontational compared to Trump’s recent tariffs against Canada and Mexico. Long-time China hawk Sen. Marco Rubio will also press Panama on dealings with Hong Kong-based company CK Hutchison Holdings, which controls ports at either end of the Panama Canal, a point Rubio has raised regarding China’s possible use of that control to scuttle US shipping if there is conflict.

While in Panama, Rubio will hold a meeting with Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino on migration, the serious issue that is topping the agenda between Panama and the United States on controlling this influx of migrants through the Darien Gap. Rubio has also made the issue of migration central to his diplomacy: mass migration in the region and drug trafficking.

While Rubio has tried to play down Trump’s belligerent posture on the canal, Panama’s government is resolute in refusing any negotiation on the ownership of the canal, which was transferred to Panama in 1999. However, Panama is conducting an audit of the port operations, which could lead to changes in the company managing the canal’s facilities.