Donald Trump — the “Everything’s Computer” President — is directing the U.S. military to come up with options for getting more troops to Panama so he can reach his goal of “reclaiming” the Panama Canal. I’d say we live in hell, but I fear this is far too stupid for the devil.
In any case, the U.S. Southern Command is apparently developing potential plans that vary from somewhat reasonable ideas like partnering more closely with the Panamanian military to less likely — more drastic — measures like sending U.S. troops to seize the Canal by force, according to NBC News. Something like that would be set in motion depending on how much the Panamanian military agrees to partner with the U.S. The real end goal is to diminish China’s influence over the 50-mile-long canal.
Of course, both China and Panama say there isn’t any interference in the canal, a waterway whose neutrality is actually enshrined in Panama’s Constitution, NBC News says. Since Trump took office and started making all of the hubbub about the canal, China has hit back, accusing the U.S. of “coercion” to pressure Panamanian officials to block Chinese aid projects.
Now, Defense Secretary and party boy Pete Hegseth is set to visit Panama sometime in April. Last month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Panamanian president that “the status quo is unacceptable” regarding China’s presence in Panama, according to the Associated Press.
A Man, a Plan, a Canal, Panama
During Trump’s joint address to Congress, the Tesla salesman said he intends to return ownership of the canal to the U.S. after the South American country gained control of it decades ago under a treaty signed by the Carter administration. Privately, he has struck up a very serious tone about sending the military down there, as NBC News explains:
Trump has told his advisers that he sees a U.S. military presence in Panama and on the canal itself as critical to that effort, the U.S. officials said. Trump has also made it clear that he wants U.S. service members to be visible in the canal zone as a show of force.
Trump administration officials have argued that China has too large a presence near the canal. In the event of a conflict, they say, Beijing could shut down the canal to American shipping, including military ships.
Right now, the U.S. military has over 200 troops in Panama, but that number fluctuates as troops cycle in an out. Some of them include Special Forces units who are working with Panamanian forces to protect the country from internal threats, insurgencies or unrest. Sounds like serious business.
What comes next for the Panama Canal
Here’s some of what the U.S. might be planning for the canal, from NBC News:
Potential administration strategies include simply ensuring that U.S. ships have safe passage through the canal, to restoring total U.S. ownership and operation of the passageway, officials said. Other options under consideration include using the U.S. military to secure existing ports in Panama, to build new ports in Panama or using the Army Corps of Engineers to operate the canal’s locks, officials said.
There are also discussions about opening Army Jungle Schools, or training camps, in Panama, like the ones U.S. troops trained in jungle warfare until the canal was formally handed over to Panama in 1999.
In any case, I feel like putting a lot of time and effort into who owns and operates the Panama Canal is something you do when you’ve got all of your other issues figured out. Critically, the U.S. and the Trump administration have a lot of other issues to deal with that are far more pressing than this waterway. I’m sure that no matter how this whole thing shakes out, the history books will look back on it and throw around the word “fiasco” rather liberally. Time will tell.
The Panama Canal in the news
Over the past few years, the Panama Canal has been dealing with a lot of news, and most of it hasn’t been particularly great. Some of it is, of course, beyond anyone’s control. In the past couple of years, the Canal has been dealing with climate change, just like the rest of us. Extreme drought has thrown the whole operation into jeopardy. In fact, back in August of 2023, we told you about a 154-ship traffic jam that clogged up the Panama Canal simply because the water wasn’t deep enough for ships to pass through. This wasn’t the only instance, either. A very similar event happened in January of last year, stranding over $270 billion in goods at the Canal. That’s less than ideal.
