Hegseth must go to Panama for meetings after Trump’s requests for the canal

Washington (AP) – Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will go to Panama next week to meet leaders of the Central American country after recent Trump administration allegations of Chinese interference In the operations of the Critical Shipping Way of the Panama Canal.

President Donald Trump complained about the control of giving up the United States of the Panama Way over 20 years ago and threatened to take it back, arguing that the United States was overcharging for having used it. The Panama Government has refused Trump’s statement that China has an influence on the canal.

Sean Parnell, chief spokesperson for the Pentagon, said on Friday that Hegseth would participate in the Central America Security Conference in 2025. He said that Hegseth will participate in meetings that “stimulate continuous efforts to strengthen our partnerships with Panama and other Central America countries to our common vision for a peaceful and secure western hemisphere”.

He did not mention the canal, which was built by the United States in the early 1900s when it was looking for the means to facilitate the transit of commercial and military ships between its coast. Washington made control of Panama on December 31, 1999, under a treaty signed in 1977 by President Jimmy Carter. Trump said Carter “stupidly” gave the channel.

After threats from Trump, a conglomerate based in Hong Kong accepted Sell ​​control participation In a subsidiary that operates ports near the Panama canal to a consortium, including Blackrock Inc., effectively putting ports under American control.

The Agreement will offer the American Blackrock Investment Management Company Inc. to control more than 43 ports in 23 countries, including the ports of Balboa and Cristobal, located at each end of the Panama Canal. Other ports are found in Mexico, the Netherlands, Egypt, Australia, Pakistan and elsewhere.

The transaction must be approved by the government of Panama, which argued that it has full control of the channel and that the functioning of the ports by the group based in Hong Kong did not constitute Chinese control on the navigable track.

Parnell said Hegseth would also stop at Eglin Air Force Base to visit the members of the service and order the management of the 7th special forces group.