Panama president rules out debate over canal

3/2/2025 5:55

Panama's President Jose

Raul Mulino stressed that sovereignty over his nation's namesake

canal is not up for debate, after talks with U.S. Secretary of

State Marco Rubio on Sunday, but he outlined the possibility of

repatriating more migrants.



The canal has emerged as a flashpoint between the two

nations, as U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly insisted

that the United States must retake the waterway key to global

trade due to his claims of undue Chinese influence.



In remarks to reporters, Mulino suggested a possible

expansion of an existing agreement with the United States from

last July that could pave the way for direct deportations of

non-Panamanian migrants who cross the Darien Gap jungle on

Panama's southern border with Colombia. He insisted, however,

that the U.S. government would need to cover the cost.



Over the past few years, the area has seen a surge of

U.S.-bound migrants.



The Panamanian leader noted that such an expanded deal

could potentially allow for the deportation of migrants from

Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador.



"We spoke extensively about the problem of migration,

with the understanding that Panama is a transit point," said

Mulino, after his meeting with Rubio.



Mulino's talks with Rubio, Trump's top diplomatic envoy,

mark a first stop for Rubio on a tour of several Central

American nations as well as the Dominican Republic over the next

few days.