President Donald Trump has instructed the U.S. military to develop strategies to “reclaim” the Panama Canal, citing concerns over national security and Chinese influence in the region. The directive underscores the administration’s apprehension about China’s activities near the canal, a vital global trade route.
The canal was under U.S. control until its transfer to Panama in 1999. Panama maintains that it retains full sovereignty over the canal, asserting that no foreign entity controls its operations.
According to Newsweek, the Pentagon’s assignment includes exploring various military options to ensure U.S. access to the canal, including placing troops in the strategically located Latin American country. The plans align with President Trump’s assertions to “take back” control of the canal, reflecting concerns that Chinese meddling in the Western Hemisphere threatens U.S. interests. However, any attempt to seize the canal by force would likely violate international law:
Around 14,000 ships pass through the Panama Canal each year, according to figures compiled by Statista. The narrow route, first opened by the U.S. in 1914, allows cargo vessels to travel between the American continents rather than having to circumnavigate them, hugely reducing transit times and costs.
In a memo sent to the Pentagon and viewed by CNN and NBC News, the Trump administration has ordered the department to seek “credible military options” that would allow the U.S. to partner with local security forces and establish a footprint on the canal.
Two U.S. officials familiar with the planning told NBC that a less likely option—but one yet to be ruled out—would see the U.S. try to militarily seize the canal, but that will depend on how much the Panamanian security forces agree to partner with the U.S. The U.S. Southern Command is taking the lead on fulfilling the request, according to the reports.
The goal, according to the officials, is to increase the U.S. military presence and diminish Chinese influence.
Beijing fiercely condemned this month’s sale of a Hong Kong firm’s majority stake in Panama Ports Company to a U.S.-led consortium, calling the $22.8 billion deal an act of “power politics” that undermines its national interests.
The sale, heavily influenced by U.S. pressure, aims to curb China’s growing control over the region. Critics have labeled the move a display of U.S. hegemony, arguing that Washington used coercive tactics to secure the deal.
The transaction grants the U.S.-aligned consortium control over 43 ports across 23 countries, significantly expanding American influence over global shipping operations at a time of rising geopolitical tensions.
Historically, the U.S. managed Panama Canal until its transfer to Panama in 1999, following a treaty signed in 1979 under President Jimmy Carter.
Trump has long criticized the Carter administration’s decision to transfer control of the canal.
He has also criticized Panama’s increased transit fees, calling them “exorbitant” and suggesting they violate the original treaties governing the canal’s operation.
Article Published With The Permission of American Liberty News.
