Pete Hegseth: ‘We Will Take Back the Panama Canal from China’s Influence’
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.
Panama - Page 2
Panama Files Criminal Charges Against Chinese-Linked Canal Port Owner for Breach of Contract
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 Heads to Panama to Meet with Regional Leaders, U.S. Troops
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.
China Blocks Panama Canal Port Sale — Report Claims Xi Jinping Infuriated by Deal Sought Without His Approval
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.
Trump Pick for Panama Envoy: Chinese Influence Goes Beyond the Canal
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.
Reports: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Requests Military Options for Unfettered Panama Canal Access
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.
Panama Records 99% Drop in U.S.-Bound Migration Through Darién Gap
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.
Panama President Mulino: Trump’s Canal Remarks Are an ‘Affront to the Truth and Our Dignity as a Nation’
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 Company Sells Shares of Panama Canal Ports to BlackRock
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.
Panama AG: Hong Kong Company Granted ‘Unconstitutional’ Canal Contract
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.
Trump Effect: Venezuelan Migrants Pay Panamanian Smugglers for Boat Ride Home
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.
Exclusive — Rubio Details How Trump Going on Offense Against China’s Belt and Road Initiative: ‘Big Story of 21st Century U.S.-China Relations’
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.
Panama Refutes U.S. Official’s Claim that Canal Staff Are Subject to Chinese Security
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.
China Tries to Undo Damage in Latin America Ties Done by Rubio Trip
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.
China Fumes as Trump’s Pentagon Sends Top Regional Commander to Panama Canal
The Chinese communist regime on Wednesday denied having any control over the Panama Canal, claiming assertions made by the United States over its influence were a “pure lie.”
Trump’s Fast Deportation Routes Deter Millions of Would-be Migrants
President Donald Trump’s new deportation routes have proved so successful that the number of Venezuelans hoping to reach the United States has dropped by 60 percent, says a new survey in Venezuela.
Panama Arrests over 500 in Massive Construction Worker Union Riot
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.
China Melts Down as Marco Rubio Dismantles Its Influence in Latin America
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.
Panama Denies Giving Free Canal Passage to American Ships
The president of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, said the U.S. Department of State’s claim about Panama Canal fees was false.
Marco Rubio Tells Panama U.S. Could Seize Canal over Handover Deal Violation
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.
Marco Rubio Succeeds in Convincing Panama to Exit Belt and Road Initiative with China
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).
Trump Doubles Down on U.S. Retaking Panama Canal: ‘They’ve Totally Violated the Agreement’
President Donald Trump doubled down on the United States retaking the Panama Canal, stating that Panama had “violated the agreement” between the two countries.
Panama’s President Says Canal Talks ‘Impossible’ as Marco Rubio Prepares Visit
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.
Panama Panics over Canal Return After Marco Rubio Backs Trump Stance on Chinese Influence
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.
Everything You Need to Know About Buying the Panama Canal
President-elect Donald Trump has expressed a strong interest in acquiring control of the Panama Canal, potentially by force if necessary.
Tough on Immigration, Panama’s Conservative Government Grapples with Trump
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.
GOP Congressman to Introduce Bill to Authorize Trump to Retake Panama Canal
A Republican Congressman plans to introduce a bill that would authorize President-elect Donald Trump to buy and re-take the Panama Canal.
Trump Refuses to Rule Out Military or Economic Force to Seize Greenland and Panama Canal
President-elect Donald Trump said during a preview of policies for his second administration on Tuesday that he would not rule out the use of economic pressure, or even military force, to obtain control of Greenland and the Panama Canal.
Pinkerton: Making the Panama Canal Great Again
The American President, born to wealth in New York City, was known for both his tough talk and his populist appeal. He also had a strong interest in Panama, seeing it is a key strategic and economic chokepoint that the U.S. must control, staving off any hostile power.
President Mulino on Panama Canal: ‘Nothing to Talk About’ with Trump
President of Panama José Raúl Mulino on Thursday ruled out any possible discussions with President-elect Donald Trump about control of the Panama Canal or any reduction in the transit fees imposed to U.S. ships that pass through it, asserting that there is “nothing to talk about” regarding the matter.
Trump Issues Christmas Message to ‘Wonderful Soldiers of China’ and ‘Governor’ Trudeau
President-elect Donald Trump issued a Christmas message to the “wonderful soldiers of China” who are “illegally, operating the Panama Canal” and to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday.
Colombia’s Marxist President Vows to Fight Trump on Retaking Panama Canal
Far-left President of Colombia Gustavo Petro warned President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday that he will side with neighboring Panama “until the last consequences” should the United States take control of the Panama Canal.
Trump Hits Back at Panama President on Keeping Canal: ‘We’ll See About That’
President-elect Donald Trump has responded to the President of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, on the debate over the Panama Canal.
Trump Threatens to Retake Panama Canal if Panama Continues to ‘Rip-Off’ US
President-elect Donald Trump threatened to retake the Panama Canal if Panama continued to “rip-off” the United States with “exorbitant” transit fees.
Panama’s Conservative President Asks Trump to Keep Deportation Flight Deal
President of Panama José Raúl Mulino on Thursday urged President-elect Donald Trump to maintain an U.S.-funded deportation flight agreement that his administration signed this year with the outgoing administration of U.S. President Joe Biden.
Number of Migrants Crossing Darién Gap Headed to the U.S. Plummets After Trump Election
The number of illegal U.S.-bound migrants crossing through the Darién jungle fell by half during the month of November, Panama revealed.
Panama to Start Fining Migrants Crossing Darién Gap Jungle $5,000
Panama will reportedly start imposing a fine of up to $5,000 on illegal migrants caught crossing through the Darién Gap jungle trail, President José Raúl Mulino announced on Thursday.
Report: 25,000 U.S.-Bound Migrants Crossed Darién Jungle in September
Panama’s Migrant Authority registered a surge of U.S.-bound migrants passing through the Darién Gap jungle trail in September, largely driven by Venezuelans fleeing from their country in the wake of the fraudulent July 28 sham presidential election, the Associated Press (AP) reported over the weekend.
Panama’s President at U.N.: U.S.-Bound Migrants Leaving Trail of ‘Decomposing Corpses’ in My Country
President of Panama José Raúl Mulino declared U.S.-bound migrants passing through his country an “immense global problem” at the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, urging the international community to help.
Panama Detects Increase in Chinese Migrants Crossing Darién Gap
President of Panama José Raúl Mulino said local authorities have detected an increase in U.S.-bound Chinese migrants crossing the Darién Gap.
