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Rubio issues an ultimatum to Panama regarding Chinese influence in the canal, and corrections are already being made

Although the Panamanian president stressed that "Panama's sovereignty is unquestionable," he also announced that he will review the agreements with the Chinese communist regime.

Marco Rubio y José Raúl Mulino este domingo en Panamá.

Marco Rubio and José Raúl Mulino on Sunday in Panama.AFP

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino to address the Panama Canal situation and demanded that the Central American country’s government make "immediate changes" in the face of Chinese influence.

"I met with Panama's president, José Raúl Mulino, and the foreign minister, to make it clear that the United States cannot, and will not, allow the Chinese Communist Party to continue its effective and growing control over the Panama Canal Zone," Rubio said on X.

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According to Associated Press, Rubio, under instruction from Donald Trump, told Mulino that the White House considered China's presence in the region "in violation of a treaty that led the United States to hand over the waterway to Panama in 1999."

The treaty "calls for the permanent neutrality of the U.S.-built canal."

After the meeting, the Department of State issued a statement saying that China's influence represents "a threat to the canal." So, since the "status quo is unacceptable ... in the absence of immediate changes, it would require the United States to take the necessary measures to protect its rights under the Treaty."

While Mulino after the meeting stressed that "Panama's sovereignty is not in question," he also announced that his government will not renew the memorandum of understanding on the Silk Road that Panama and China signed in 2017.

"We are going to study the possibility of whether it can be completed sooner or not. I think it's due in one or two years for renewal," he said in a press conference.

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President Trump has insisted since even before taking office that the Panamanian government had breached the Panama Canal agreement, so the United States should review what was agreed in the 1997 Torrijos-Carter Treaty.

In particular, Trump claims that the United States is being treated unfairly, while China receives many economic benefits for the passage of the Panama Canal.

The Panama Canal to adjust priorities in ship transit

After the meeting, the Panama Canal informed Secretary of State Marco Rubio that it would implement adjustments to optimize the priority in the transit of its ships.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump commented on the issue, stating that the United States should regain control over the canal.

“We’re going to take it back, or something very powerful is going to happen,” Trump said this past Sunday night.

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