The White House has ordered the U.S. military to develop new plans to increase the U.S. troop presence in Panama in order to achieve President Trump’s goal of “retaking” the Canal.
The U.S. Southern Command is developing potential strategies ranging from closer cooperation with Panamanian security forces to the less likely option of using force to take control of the post.
The Trump administration’s goal is to increase military presence to reduce China’s influence. In turn, Panama and Beijing deny that there is any foreign interference in the canal, whose neutrality is enshrined in the local constitution.
China has also accused the United States of “coercion” and of pressuring Panamanian officials to block Beijing’s plans.
Sources close to the White House explained that a U.S. invasion of Panama is somewhat unlikely, at least for the time being, and will only be seriously considered if an increased U.S. military presence in Panama fails to achieve Trump’s goal of recapturing the waterway. This week, Admiral Alvin Holsey, leader of the U.S. Southern Command, presented a first draft of strategies to be adopted to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who is expected to visit Panama next month.
The U.S. built the canal in question between 1904 and 1914. In 1977, after lengthy protests by locals, President Jimmy Carter signed a treaty handing over control of the course to Panama. In 1989, during the George H.W. Bush administration, U.S. forces invaded the country and ousted the then political leader, Manuel Noriega, later convicted of drug trafficking.
Now, Trump government officials say China’s presence near the canal has become excessive. In the event of conflict, they say, Beijing could close the canal to U.S. ships, including military vessels.
During a visit to Panama last month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told President José Raúl Mulino that the current situation is unacceptable. Mulino, in turn, reiterated that the government administers the strategic waterway independently,a version that did not convince Trump and his administration, which is now considering what to do.
Potential U.S. strategies range from simply ensuring safe passage of U.S. ships through the canal, to restoring full ownership and management of it. Other options being considered include using military forces to protect existing ports in Panama, building new ports, or using the Army Corps of Engineers to manage the canal’s locks.
