Diplomacy: U.S. Foreign Minister begins his first trip abroad in Panama

At the start of his first trip abroad, US Foreign Minister Marco Rubio visits the Central American Panama. Rubio was received by his counterpart Javier-Martínez Acha on Saturday evening (local time) at Panamá Pacífico Airport near the Panama Canal, as Panamaian television stations reported live.

At the center of his conversations with President José Raúl Mulino On Sunday are the future of the Panama Canal and the migration. Rubio will also visit one of the locks of the channel. US President Donald Trump has threatened to reclaim control over the important waterway, which was built by the United States in the early 20th century.

The 82 -kilometer channel connects the Atlantic with the Pacific in Central America. On December 31, 1999, the United States handed over the channel administration to Panama. The recently deceased Democratic US President Jimmy Carter had negotiated the transaction.

Mulino: “The channel remains panamic”

Above all, Trump criticizes the excessive influence of China on the waterway. However, Mulino has excluded any negotiations on the control of the Panama Canal. “The channel is and remains panamic,” he said.

After stopping in Panama, Rubios trip continues to Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. There, too, the topic of migration will play a central role in view of the mass deportations announced by Trump.