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LOS ANGELES.–Sending Secretary of State Marco Rubio, 53, to Panama and several other Latin American states, President Donald Trump means business when he says Panama has abused the 1999 treaty handing sovereignty of the canal to Panama.  Rubio took a tour of the canal but then met with Panama President Jose Raul Mulino stressing that Chinese control of the canal was not acceptable to the United States.  U.S. accounts for some 75% of Panama’s traffic with cargo ships and tankers through the canal and expects reasonable rates of passage, something that hasn’t happened in recent years. Trump worries that China now determines the rates for crossing from the Pacific to the Atlantic, or vice versa, but, more importantly, has the capacity to shut down the canal without notice.  Trump wants U.S. guaranteed accesss but also discounted rates to U.S. ships.

            Rubio downplayed Rubio’s message, saying that everything Trump wanted could be discussed for renegotiated.  “I don’t feel that there’s any real threat at this time against the treaty.  It’s validity, or, much less of the use of military force to seize the canal,” Mulino told reporters. “Sovereignty over the canal is not in question,” Mulino said, not realizing that if changes to China’s role are not made quickly, Trump could order the U.S. navy to take over the canal. China now controls the entry points from the Pacific and Atlantic, leaving the U.S. vulnerable to an embargo if relations with China deteriorates.  Mulino wants to schedule “technical-level talks to resolve an remaining differences, sounding more accommodating.  Trump wants assurances that China does not have the authority to shutdown points of entry on the Pacific or Atlantic, now or in the future.

            Mulino said he would audit the Hong Kong-based company that manages the Pacific and Atlantic ports of entry into the canal.  State Department Spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said the current arrangements are not acceptable to Trump who wants to know that China cannot control entry through the canal.  “It would take require the United States to take measures necessary to protect  its rights under the treaty,” Bruce said.  Mulino doesn’t seem to get t he gravity of sending Rubio down to the Canal Zone to inform Panama that changes need to be made, not just lip service.  Whatever audit Mulino ordered, it was not enough to satisfy that the treaty was in compliance with current obligations.  Mulino acts like China has not breached any agreement in contracting out to China to run the ingress and egress into the canal.  Mulino offered to let Rubio use an air strip in the jungle town of Meteti in Darien.

            Mulino wants to cooperate on migration patterns crossing into Panama from South America, where immigrants from seek asylum in the United States from various places including Venezuela, Ecuador and Haiti.  Former President Joe Biden cut a $6 million deal with Mulino to help deal with immigrants seeking to travel through Panama.  Rubio plans to deal with immigration issues in El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic, all of which deal with immigrants trying by whatever means to get to the Mexican border into the United States. “Rubio, get out of Panama,” read a poster accompanied by 200 protesters, as Mulino sent in the police to quell demonstrations.  “To the imperial messenger,” said union leader Saul Mendez.  “We reiterate that there is absolutely nothing here for Trump.  Panama is a free and sovereign nation,” protesting Rubio’s presence.

            U.S. has a long history with Panama providing the engineering and resources to join the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans in 1914, it what Trump has called a “wonder of the world.”  For anyone witnessing the way the lock system works to bring ships from lower ground to higher ground, it’s a remarkable feat of engineering.  Trump takes credit for the U.S. building the canal but it was negotiated by President Jimmy Carter to go to Panama control in 1999.  Trump called it a huge mistake because the U.S. has no control over current rates to cross the canal, but, more importantly, who would manage the canal.  Contracting with China was not something anticipated in 1979 at the time Carter negotiated the treaty.  Panamanians view the canal as its autonomy and sovereignty from the United States.  Talking of returning the can to U.S. control has rattled the Panamanian government.

             Trump has done a number of things in the last two weeks that have irked Panama and Greenland, saying that both areas are strategic to U.S. national security.  Trump offered to buy Greenland from Denmark, prompting strong rejections by Denmark and Greenland officials.  Both know that if the Kremlin felt like taking over Greenland, there’s nothing Demark or Greenland could do to stop it.  Trump’s point to Greenland and Demark is the U.S. could use Greenland for national security purposes, something not significant Denmark.  Like Alaska, Greenland is populated by mainly Inuit natives, similar to one population in Alaska.  Since the U.S. has occupied Alaska since 1867, it has a lot of experience working with native populations.  Trump talk of controlling the Panama canal and buying Greenland is all about U.S. national security, not some imperial land grab.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.