The first weekend of February President Trump sent Marco Rubio the newly sworn-in Secretary of State down to Panama to talk about the Panama Canal. Trump started saying publicly that America was going to take back the canal. Donald felt America built the canal, Americans died digging it by the tens of thousands from mosquitos, and it was another huge mistake by President Jimmy Carter to give control back to Panama.

Trump complained that Panama let China come in and put ports on each side of the canal and that Chinese influence was controlling the canal by their presence. Reports said American ships were being ripped off paying fees to go through the canal. President Trump believes China’s influence violates the neutrality treaty and the status quo at the Panama Canal is unacceptable.

As a response to America’s concerns, Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino took it to heart and immediately addressed Trump’s concerns over China’s influence by not renewing Panama’s deal to join China’s flagship Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Mulino also announced further capitulation on illegal immigration when it came to taking back repatriated border crossers, a major torn in the shoe of the U.S. administration.

According to Radio Free Europe, “The BRI is Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s signature foreign policy initiative, and the globe-spanning infrastructure project has led to hundreds of billions of dollars worth of Chinese investment around the world.” Panama following Columbia’s concessions highlighted a major shift within the Americas and the Western Hemisphere.

Also, following Trump’s threat of tariffs on Mexico, negotiations between Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum found common ground. Mexico has agreed to deploy 10,000 troops to the US-Mexico border to combat drug trafficking of Fentanyl. In response, Trump has paused tariffs on Mexican goods for one month to give space and time for further negotiations between the two countries. All of this was a clear signal to China that Trump is not the feeble President Biden. As the saying goes, there is a new sheriff in town.

C. Rich

CRich@AmericaSpeaksInk.com

C. Rich

C. Rich is the voice behind America Speaks Ink, home to the America First Movement. As an author, poet, freelance ghostwriter, and blogger, C. Rich brings a “baked-in” perspective shaped by growing up on the streets and beaches of South Florida in the 1970s-1980s and brings a quintessential Generation-X point of view.

Rich’s writing journey began in 2008 with coverage of the Casey Anthony trial and has since evolved into a wide-ranging exploration of politics, culture, and the issues that define our times. Follow C. Rich’s writing odyssey here at America Speaks Ink and on Amazon with a multi-book series on Donald Trump called “Trump Era: The MAGA Files” and many other books and subjects C. Rich is known to cover.

“America Speaks Ink is a Google News approved source for Opinion”