In a bold move signaling America's renewed strength on the global stage, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is set to visit Panama as President Donald Trump declares the U.S. is "reclaiming" control over the Panama Canal. With the Trump administration focused on asserting American influence and safeguarding vital national interests, this trip marks a significant step in strengthening ties with Panama and reinforcing the strategic importance of the canal to U.S. trade and security. As the president takes decisive action on the world stage, Hegseth's visit underscores a broader push to reclaim America's leadership role in global affairs.
Hegseth is traveling to Panama City, Panama, next week to participate in the 2025 Central American Security Conference, where he will meet with the country’s president, Jose Raul Mulino, and attend a meeting of regional chiefs of defense. He will also travel to Eglin AFB to visit service members and command leadership at the 7th Special Forces Group. The trip is part of Trump’s efforts to regain control of the key strategic and military resources.
Chief spokesman Sean Parnell said Hegseth will participate in discussions that "drive ongoing efforts to strengthen the U.S.'s partnerships with Panama and other Central American nations toward our shared vision for a peaceful and secure Western Hemisphere.”
During his March address to Congress, Trump said he would reclaim the Panama Canal as part of his administration’s plans to enhance the United States’s national security, adding that they’ve “already started doing it.”
In December, Trump voiced his frustration over the fees Panama imposes on the U.S. for using the Panama Canal. In a Truth Social post, the president said, "The fees Panama charges are outrageous, especially considering the immense generosity the U.S. has shown to Panama. This blatant 'rip-off' of our country will come to an end immediately.”
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However, President Mulino claimed that Trump is “lying” about purchasing the region, adding that the “Canal is Panamanian and will continue to be Panamanian!”
“I reject, on behalf of Panama and all Panamanians, this new affront to the truth and to our dignity as a nation,” he wrote. “Cooperation between our governments requires clear understandings on issues of mutual interest, as has been done. It has nothing to do with the ‘recovery of the Canal’ or with tarnishing our national sovereignty,” he wrote on X.
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