The Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseeth, in Panama delivered a clear message: the United States and Panama would recover the Panama Canal from China’s influence.
“I want to be very clear: China did not build this channel. China does not operate this channel, and China will not build this channel,” said Hegseeth.
“Together with Panama at the head, we will keep the safe channel and Aviale for all nations through the deterrent power of the strongest, most effective and most lethal struggle force in the world. We will do this in the association channel, we will take attention with other allies and partners of capable related ideas is what the” peace “seems,” he said.
Panama has denied that the channel has fallen under the influence of China, but Hegseeth said that China -based companies continue to control critical infrastructure in the area, giving China the potential to carry out in Panama. “As President Donald Trump has pointed out, that situation is not acceptable,” he said.
Hegesh pronounced his comments in a ceremony revealing a dock at the Basque Naval Nuñez de Balboa base that was restored with the support of the US Army Corps.
The Panama Canal – What the United States built in 1914, but President Jimmy Carter agreed to give Panama in 1979 – It has become an early important approach to the foreign policy of the Trump administration. Trump has prioritized safety shoring on the southern border and the western hemisphere while prevents China from being its long -term objective of replacing the United States as the main superpower of the world.
Trump said the duration of his joint speech to Congress in March:
To further improve our national security, my administration will claim the Panama Canal, and we have already begun to do so. Just today, a great American company announced that they are buying both ports around the Panama Canal and many other things that have to do with the Panama Canal and a couple of other channels.
The Panama Canal was built by Americans for Americans, not for others, but others could use it. But it was built at a tremendous cost of American blood and treasure. Thirty -eight thousand workers died building the Panama Canal. They died of malaria. They died of snake bites and mosquitoes. It is not a good place to work. They were paid a lot to go there, knowing that there was a 25 percent chance of doing so. The most exensive project, also, which was always in the history of our country, if it takes it to modern costs.
The Carter administration delivered it for $ 1, but that agreement has been raped very severely. We give it to China. We cool it to Panama, and we are recovering it.
Hegseeth’s visit to Panama is the second time that a senior Trump administration official visited the country in just three months. The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, arrived in Panama in February, which helped convince Panama not to renew an infrastructure project under the Belt and Road initiative of China. China’s Bri Initiative, which seeks to build closer links with countries through infrastructure projects, has often resulted in the country accepted a loan under conditions that then trapped a topic in debt pronounced with China, in which Beteign policy experts have Dubbet. “
Duration of Hegseeth’s trip, with Panama President José Raúl Mulino, Minister of Public Security Frank Abrego, and other senior Panaman officials, and attended the 2025 Central America Security Conference, consistent with the United States and Panama.
On Tuesday night, the administrator of the Authority of the Canal de Mulino, Ricaurte Vázquez, and Hegseth issued a statement that recognized the “Robust Foundation and Legacy” of the United States Panama Security Association and said your security cooperation. Bilateral.
The Statement acknowleded that the panama canal treaty of 1977 Guaranteed the “Expected Transit of Warships and Auxiliary Vessels of the Republic of Panama and the United States,” ”and Said Bush Countries Wouled Work on a Secy and Charles and and And and Charles and And and and and and and and and and and and and and and and Charges And and Charles and and Charges and and Charges and and Charges and and Charges and and Charges and Charges and and charges and charges and charges and charges and charges and charges and charges and charges and charles and charges and charges and charges and charges and loaders and loaders and charges and loaders and charges and loaders and loaders and charges and charges and charges and charges and charges and charges and charges and charges and charges and charges and charges and charges and charges loading and loading and loading and charges
Hegseeth promoted the American relationship with Panama, promising that “it would continue to grow in the months and years.”
But he also concluded his comments with the history of the role of the United States in the construction of the Panama Canal in early 1900:
He will see, the first time that an acting American president put a foot outside the United States, the first time, was to see the construction of the Panama Canal. President Teddy Roosevelt spent three days here in November or 1906. He was here to inspect the project and to emphasize how important it was for our security and our prosperity.
After his visit, Roosevelt described the channel as one of the large and giants of the ages. Almost 120 years later, this channel is still a wonder of the world. And like President Roosevelt, President Trump today recognizes the legitimate place of the channel as the center of our hemisphere. Connects two continents and two oceans, transporting more than $ 250 billion in products per year and 40 percent of American shipments.
The seventy percent of the ships that pass through this channel go from the US ports. Almost 100 American military ships every year travel the channel. This miraculous channel shows what our two nations can achieve together.
“We work together to build this channel. The workers of both Ourtries cool their lives during its construction. We are proud of our history shared and excited by our shared future. Returning to dock 3 at service today to work together together,” Hegseeth concluded.
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