Rubio to visit Panama Canal, US envoy says China's presence a security concern

1/2/2025 6:28

China's presence around the Panama Canal is a national security concern that Panama's government has to deal with, U.S. Special Envoy for Latin America Mauricio Claver-Carone said on Friday, ahead of U.S. top diplomat Marco Rubio's visit to the country.



Rubio departs on Saturday on his first foreign trip, and will visit the canal and meet Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino, the first talks between the countries since President Donald Trump's threat to take control of the canal.



Rubio will also visit El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic, where the Trump administration's efforts to repatriate migrants from the region and stem migration will be on the agenda, Claver-Carone said in a briefing call with reporters.