Secretary of State Marco Rubio Meeting with Panama's President
22 Video Views·Feb 1, 2025
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is traveling to Panama with four other stops in Central America and the Caribbean for six days starting Saturday. The purpose is to "advance Trump’s foreign policy," according to the State Department.
Panama President Jose Raul Mulino issued a statement ahead of Rubio’s visit: “The sovereignty of Panama over the canal is clear. There is no discussion on this subject. The soul of a country is not up for discussion.”
During a Friday press briefing, the State Department confirmed that Rubio will be meeting with President Mulino and that the Panama Canal will be discussed along with migration.
After Panama, Secretary Rubio will visit El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announces travel to Panama and four other stops in Central
America and the Caribbean.
The purpose is to, quote, advance President Trump's America first foreign policy, along
with Panama, Rubio will visit El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic
from February 1st to February 6th.
The president of Panama issued a statement two days ahead of Rubio's trip.
The sovereignty of Panama over the canal is clear.
There is no discussion on this subject.
The soul of a country is not up for discussion.
The State Department says Rubio will be engaging with senior officials and business leaders
for cooperation in shared interests, including stopping illegal and large-scale immigration,
fighting transnational criminal organizations and drug traffickers, countering China, and
deepening economic partnerships.
And in related news, President Trump told reporters that there are three main reasons
for his decision to impose 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico.
Number one is the people that have poured into our country so horribly and so much.
Number two are the drugs, fentanyl and everything else that have come into the country.
And number three are the massive subsidies that we're giving to Canada and to Mexico
in the form of deficits.
Trump said that the tariffs, quote, may or may not rise with time and that oil may not
be included, with a final decision coming soon.
Oil is going to have nothing to do with it as far as I'm concerned.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection says that during 2024 they intercepted 43 pounds of
fentanyl at the Canadian border and 21,000 pounds at the Mexican border.
Rubio said he had zero doubt that China has a contingency plan to shut down the Panama
Canal if there's a conflict with the U.S.
Rubio said the U.S. intends to address what it sees as a national security threat.
The secretary of state said a Hong Kong-based company that operates two ports at the canal's
Atlantic and Pacific entrances is a risk to the U.S.
He said they have to do whatever the Chinese regime tells them.
President Trump accused Panama of breaking the promises it made for the final transfer
of the canal in 1999 and of ceding its operation to China.
Panama strongly denied this.
Reporting in Washington, D.C., Jason Blair, NTD News.