Spokeswoman Bruce said that if changes did not take place immediately, the United States would “take the necessary measures to protect its rights from the contract”. What these measures consisted of did not say.
Rubio therefore announced Mulino that US President Donald Trump temporarily decided that “the current influence and control of the China Communist Party on the area of the Panama Canal” a threat to the channel and an agreement of an agreement on permanent neutrality of the channel, emphasized Bruce.
“I do not have the feeling that there is currently a real threat to the contract, its validity or even the application of military violence to confiscate the channel,” Mulino said after talking to Rubio to journalists and referred to the contract with which the channel was handed over at the end of 1999. “The sovereignty over the channel is out of the question.” Mulino suggested talks on the technical level with the United States to clear out concerns.
After meeting with mulino, Rubio visited the Miraflores lock at the Pacific mouth of the Panama Canal. There he was received by the administrator of the canal, Ricaurte Vásquez.
Rubio started his first trip abroad on Sunday since taking office with a visit to Panama. After repeated threats of Trump, the visit took place to bring the Panama Canal back under the control of his country.
Panama complained about Trump’s threats to the United Nations. Head of state Mulino confirmed during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the Canal belonged to Panama “and will continue to belong”.
Trump renewed his claim on Sunday that the Panama Canal was operated by China. However, the United States did not hand over the channel to China but “in a maneuver” to Panama, he said journalists in Washington. Panama “violated the agreement and we will take it back or something very huge will happen,” continued Trump.
The Panama Canal built by the USA was opened in 1914. In 1977 US President Jimmy Carter and the Panamaic military maker Omar Torrijos signed an agreement to hand over the canal to the Central American country. In 1999 Panama took control of the waterway between the Atlantic and the Pacific.
Rubios visit was accompanied by small but intensive protests. Demonstrators in Panama city burned a picture of the US foreign minister and wore posters that showed Rubio with a swastika bandage on the arm. Around 200 people shouted “Rubio out of Panama!”.
After Panama, Rubio wants to continue to El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic. Among other things, he will advertise Trump’s migration policy geared towards deportations.