Panama

Latin America, once fertile ground for China to sign “Belt and Road” infrastructure deals with poor countries, is turning its back on “crappy” construction projects that erode the sovereignty of local governments, a senior State Department official told Breitbart News.

Migrant crossings at Panama’s Darien Gap plunged to nearly nothing in May and June, an important indicator of illegal immigration to the United States.

Panama’s comptroller general sued against the contract that allows a China-linked company to control two Panama Canal ports.

The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine announced on Monday that it had plans to open four new embassies in Latin America by the end of the year and over ten new consular offices in Europe – in part at the expense of Ukraine’s embassy in Cuba.

British authorities seized 2.4 metric tons of cocaine in a ship arriving in England from Panama, authorities said Saturday, calling it one of the U.K.’s biggest drug busts in years.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem observed a deportation flight of illegal aliens in Panama who sought to make it to the United States-Mexico border to cross illegally. 

U.S. Ambassador to Panama Kevin Cabrera on Thursday said that the United States is working together with Panama to eliminate “China’s malign influence” in the Panama Canal.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had one mission on his trip to Panama — to secure a deal to get “first and free” passage for U.S. ships in the Panama Canal, a critical waterway for the United States’ economy and military that was at risk of falling under China’s control.

Beijing accused U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of “maliciously attacking” China and sabotaging its relationship with Panama during his official visit to the Central American nation.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday in Panama delivered a clear message: the United States and Panama would take back the Panama Canal from China’s influence.

Comptroller General of Panama Anel Flores on Monday announced that he would file a criminal complaint against Panama Ports Company (PPC), a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Hutchison Port Holdings, on accusations of breach of contract over the two ports it manages at the Panama Canal.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is heading to Panama City, Panama, on Monday, for a two-day visit to attend the 2025 Central American Security Conference and meet with American troops stationed there.

Chinese antitrust regulators on Friday blocked a deal by the Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison conglomerate to sell two ports along the Panama Canal to a consortium led by investment giant BlackRock.

Kevin Cabrera, President Donald Trump’s nomination as the next U.S. ambassador to Panama, said Tuesday during his confirmation hearing in Congress that China’s influence in Panama extends beyond the canal’s ports.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asked defense officials to “provide credible military options to ensure fair and unfettered US military and commercial access to the Panama Canal,” according to reports.

The number of illegal U.S.-bound migrants passing through the dangerous Darién jungle plummeted by nearly 99 percent during the month of February 2025 when compared to February 2024, Panama’s Migrant Authority revealed this week.

President of Panama José Raúl Mulino on Wednesday morning accused President Donald Trump of “lying again” after Trump reiterated his call to take back control of the Panama Canal in a speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night.

Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings Limited announced Tuesday asset manager BlackRock has agreed to buy a majority stake of its subsidiary that operates two ports at the Panama Canal for $23 billion.

Attorney General of Panama Luis Carlos Gómez said on Wednesday that a decades-long contract awarded to Panama Ports Company (PPC), a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Hutchison Port Holdings, to operate two ports in the Panama Canal is “unconstitutional,” local outlets reported.

A report from the Panamanian government’s national border service, Senafront, indicates migrants are now employing the same boat smugglers who once ferried them from Colombia to Panama to return them home. The Panamanian agency refers to the process as “inverse” migration.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Breitbart News exclusively that President Donald Trump and his administration are aiming to peel Russia off of China in much the same way former President Richard Nixon, during the Cold War, peeled China off of the Soviet Union.

The Panama Canal Authority refuted a U.S. accusation that Panama Canal staff must go through Chinese security to get to their place of work.

The Chinese government held a meeting with Bolivia’s top diplomat this week as part of a campaign to undo the damage to its reputation and interests in Latin America caused by Secretary of State Marco Rubio making his first international tour in the position to countries there vulnerable to Chinese influence.

Members of Panama’s Suntracs construction workers’ union staged intense violent riots in Panama City on Wednesday, leaving 17 injured police officers and more than 500 people arrested by local law enforcement agents.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry berated the administration of President Donald Trump, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in particular, on Friday for addressing the threat of Chinese regime influence during a tour to Central America and the Caribbean this week.

The president of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, said the U.S. Department of State’s claim about Panama Canal fees was false.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested in a meeting with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino on Sunday that the administration of President Donald Trump may move to seize the Panama Canal on the grounds that the Panamanian government has violated the agreement that gives the country control over the waterway.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio succeeded in convincing Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino to opt out of renewing its agreement with China regarding the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

President Donald Trump doubled down on the United States retaking the Panama Canal, stating that Panama had “violated the agreement” between the two countries.

President José Raúl Mulino of Panama told reporters on Thursday that any negotiation to return the Panama Canal to American control was “impossible” and that he could “not negotiate” on the issue, as it was a matter of the core sovereignty of the country.

The government of Panama announced on Tuesday that it sent a formal letter to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressing its “concerns” over President Donald Trump’s statements on having the United States retake control of the Panama Canal.

President-elect Donald Trump has expressed a strong interest in acquiring control of the Panama Canal, potentially by force if necessary.

Conservative President of Panamá José Raúl Mulino stated on Tuesday that he will not respond to President-elect Donald Trump’s statement on taking control of the Panama Canal until Trump takes office on January 20.

A Republican Congressman plans to introduce a bill that would authorize President-elect Donald Trump to buy and re-take the Panama Canal.