Rubio is holding talks in Panama as Trump demands canal control and pressures U.S. neighbors
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, right, is received by Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha, center, and John Barrett, Chargé d'affaires, at the Panama Pacific International Airport in Panama City on Saturday. Credit: AP/Mark Schiefelbein
PANAMA CITY — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is meeting Panama’s president Sunday on the opening stop of his first foreign trip as America's top diplomat as President Donald Trump increases the pressure on Washington's neighbors and allies, including a demand for the Panama Canal to be returned to the United States.
A day after Trump announced he was imposing major tariffs on Canada and Mexico, prompting retaliation from those countries, Rubio was set for perhaps a less confrontational and more diplomatic approach. After talks with President José Raúl Mulino, Rubio planned to tour an energy facility and then the canal, the object of Trump’s intense interest.
Mulino has said there will be no negotiation with the U.S. over ownership of the canal, and some Panamanians have staged protests over Trump's plans. Mulino said he hoped Rubio’s visit would focus on shared interests such as migration and combating drug trafficking.
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