Q24N (EFE) Republican Senator Marco Rubio, nominated as Secretary of State by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, suggested on Wednesday that China’s influence over the Panama Canal constitutes a violation of the terms of the delivery of the interoceanic route to Panamanians.
During his confirmation hearing in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Rubio referred to the threat Trump made to regain U.S. control of the canal if Panama does not reduce the rates it charges for its transit.
“I have not yet reviewed the legal investigation behind this, but I am forced to suspect that it could be argued that the terms under which that canal was delivered have been violated,” said Rubio, who denounced China’s use of the route.
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“Although technically sovereignty over the canal has not been handed over to a foreign power, in reality, a foreign power today has, through its companies, which are not independent, the ability to turn the canal into a bottleneck in a time of conflict,” he added.
The nominee to succeed Antony Blinken said that “this is a direct threat to the national interests and security of the United States,” particularly “irritating” given the fact that the Americans built that infrastructure.
Rubio, a senator since 2011, said that throughout his time in the Upper House, he has heard “concern” from both Republicans and Democrats about the presence of China in the canal.
The next head of US diplomacy defended that this is “a very legitimate issue” for the United States, although he opened the door to dialogue with the Panamanian authorities.
“Panama is a great partner in many other matters, and I hope that we can resolve this issue of the canal and its security. And also continue to work cooperatively on a series of issues that we have in common, including migration,” he said.
The Panama Canal was built by the United States, which opened it in 1914 and administered it until its transfer to the Panamanian State on December 31, 1999, as established in the Torrijos-Carter Treaties signed on September 7, 1977, in Washington by the then presidents of Panama Omar Torrijos (1968-1981) and of the United States Jimmy Carter (1977-1981).
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