US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is planning to travel to Panama after US President Donald Trump's statements about the need for Washington to establish control over the Panama Canal, Bloomberg reports citing its sources.
According to the agency, the first foreign visit of the new head of the State Department should emphasize the seriousness of the statements of Trump and his administration regarding the Panama Canal. In addition to Panama, during the Latin American tour, Rubio plans to visit Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and El Salvador. Such a trip, the agency notes, differs from the usual practice of the first tour, according to which the head of American diplomacy visits his country one of the key allied countries. Thus, under former President Joe Biden, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken made his first trip to Japan in that capacity, and Rex Tillerson, who headed the State Department in 2017-2018 during Trump's first presidential term, was the first to visit Germany. Trump, in his inauguration speech on January 20 Speaking in the Congress, he again announced his intention to return the Panama Canal.
He claimed that the transfer of control of the canal to Panama was a "senseless gift that should not have been made." According to the politician, "China controls the Panama Canal." The Panama Canal, which was put into operation in 1914, was built by the United States and was under its control.
In 1977, according to the Torrijos-Carter agreement, the gradual transfer of the canal to Panama was decided, which was completed in 1999. The agreement provided for the canal's neutrality and accessibility for world trade. Today, it remains a critical route for the world economy and one of the key objects of US interest.
