Rubio heads to Panama, Latin America to pursue Trump's 'Golden Age' agenda

Secretary of State Marco Rubio leaves for his archetypal overseas travel arsenic the nation’s apical diplomat connected Saturday. Rubio's archetypal halt connected the six-day sojourn is Panama arsenic helium sets retired connected pursuing President Donald Trump’s geopolitical agenda.

Trump utilized his inaugural code to proclaim his intent to "take back" the Panama Canal, and successful a telephone with reporters connected Friday, Special Envoy for Latin America Mauricio Claver-Carone said Rubio’s main intent of the trip would beryllium successful re-establishing a "Golden Age" for America.

"This travel signifies… that epoch of American greatness and the Golden Age," helium said, adding that "the 21st period volition besides beryllium an American century."

Former President Donald Trump listens arsenic Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., speaks during a rally astatine the Miami-Dade County Fair and Exposition successful Miami connected Nov. 6, 2022. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

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Claver-Carone pointed retired that Rubio’s travel to Latin America is the archetypal clip a caput of authorities has traveled to the portion arsenic their archetypal authoritative sojourn overseas successful implicit 100 years. 

"Last clip that happened, I believe, was successful 1912, erstwhile Philander Chase Knox went to Panama… to oversee the decision of the Panama Canal’s operation and operations," helium told reporters. "What a large connection to harken backmost to that Golden Age of the Americas, arsenic President Trump himself has mentioned."

Rubio is scheduled to conscionable with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino.

The brace are expected to sermon migration, combating cause trafficking and China’s beingness successful the Panama Canal, which Rubio and Trump person argued has go overrun by Chinese companies operating astatine either extremity of the important waterway.

The Trump medication has argued that the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) choky grip implicit each Chinese companies means that, successful extension, the CCP is operating retired of the canal and could, successful theory, adjacent it to U.S. commercialized if it chose to — posing a important information threat. 

New Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino waves earlier giving a code astatine his swearing-in ceremonial astatine the Atlapa Convention Centre successful Panama City connected July 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

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Mulino has repeatedly denied that Chinese companies person immoderate power implicit the operations of the Panama Canal, and connected Thursday said helium would not beryllium negotiating ownership of the canal with Rubio.

"It’s impossible, I can’t negotiate," Mulino said during a Thursday property league erstwhile asked astir negotiating power of the canal, The Associated Press reported. "That is done. The canal belongs to Panama."

Mulino seemingly claimed disorder implicit power of the canal was attributed to his predecessor, who severed ties with Taiwan and established diplomatic relations with China successful 2017, yet allowing a Hong Kong consortium to run ports astatine some ends of the canal.

Panama maintains that it controls the canal.

The Marshall Islands cargo vessel Cape Hellas, left, and the Portuguese cargo vessel MSC Elma sail connected Gatun Lake adjacent the Agua Clara Locks of the Panama Canal successful Colon City, Panama, connected Dec. 28, 2024. (Arnulfo Franco/AFP via Getty Images)

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Claver-Carone argued that Chinese companies power "everything from unit and logistics to telecommunications, infrastructure, and otherwise," which helium said is not lone a information menace to U.S. interests successful the canal, but to the nationalist information of Panama and the Western Hemisphere.

Rubio is besides slated to sojourn El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic, wherever helium volition conscionable with the presidents of each federation earlier returning to the U.S. connected Thursday. 

Addressing Chinese power successful these countries, on with pack violence, migration and cause trafficking, volition besides beryllium apical of Rubio’s agenda.