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3w ago

Pentagon Chief to Visit Panama as -Panama Canal Tensions Escalate

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's trip highlights U.S. efforts to strengthen regional security partnerships as President Trump reiterates calls to reclaim the canal.

A U.S. Coast Guard ship docks in a naval base along the Panama Canal in Panama City, Thursday, March 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
A U.S. Coast Guard ship docks at a naval base along the Panama Canal in Panama City, Thursday, March 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
A cargo ship sails past the Panama Canal's Port of Balboa, managed by CK Hutchison Holdings, in Panama City, Thursday, March 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
Pete Hegseth, US secretary of defense, attends a joint news conference with Gen Nakatani, Japan's defense minister, not photographed, at the Ministry of Defense in Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday, March 30, 2025. Kiyoshi Ota/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

Overview

  • Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will travel to Panama next week to attend the 2025 Central American Security Conference and meet with regional leaders.
  • The trip comes as President Trump continues to assert intentions to reclaim the Panama Canal, citing concerns over Chinese influence and high fees charged by Panama.
  • Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino has strongly rejected Trump’s claims, emphasizing the canal's sovereignty and calling U.S. rhetoric an affront to Panama's dignity.
  • The Pentagon has stated that Hegseth’s visit is focused on strengthening partnerships with Central American nations to promote regional security and stability.
  • The Panama Canal, under Panamanian control since 1999, remains a critical global trade route, with its sovereignty central to ongoing U.S.-Panama tensions.