THE WASHINGTON POST: Rubio threatens Panama’s president over canal, saying status quo is ‘unacceptable’
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Panama’s president Sunday that the status quo at the Panama Canal is “unacceptable” and, absent “immediate changes,” would require the United States to take unspecified measures.
Mr Rubio’s confrontational language, detailed in a State Department summary of the meeting, did not specify whether the United States would consider military action, but said the presence of two Hong Kong-based companies and other Chinese firms around the canal “is a threat.”
“The current position of influence and control of the Chinese Communist Party over the Panama Canal area is a threat to the canal and represents a violation of the Treaty Concerning the Permanent Neutrality and Operation of the Panama Canal,” Mr Rubio said.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino has said that giving control of the canal back to the United States as President Donald Trump has demanded is “impossible.” Trump’s demands have been widely seen as an opening negotiating position to secure lower fees for US goods passing through the canal or closer cooperation on migration.
Mr Rubio’s demands came despite Panama’s status as a supportive partner to the United States, especially on migration enforcement, a key priority of the Trump administration. On that matter, Mr Rubio thanked Mr Mulino “for his support of a joint repatriation program, which has reduced illegal migration,” according to the summary.
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