Politics
The Big Panama Canal Conquest That Didn’t Happen, Instead Kevin Marino Cabrera Appointed As The Next US Ambassador To Panama
The announcement came hot on the heels of Trump’s provocative suggestion that the United States should retake control of the Panama Canal, a strategic waterway it relinquished decades ago.
In yet another whirlwind week of audacious claims and controversial proposals, President-elect Donald Trump has named Kevin Marino Cabrera as the next US ambassador to Panama. The announcement came hot on the heels of Trump’s provocative suggestion that the United States should retake control of the Panama Canal, a strategic waterway it relinquished decades ago.
Ironically, after all the talk on taking control over the Panama Canal, President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday announced his pick for US ambassador to Panama.
Trump named Miami-Dade County Commissioner Kevin Marino Cabrera as his choice for the post after suggesting that the US should take control of the Panama Canal—a proposal he first floated over the weekend while claiming that Panama is “ripping off” American ships that pass through the waterway.
“I am pleased to announce that Kevin Marino Cabrera will serve as the United States Ambassador to the Republic of Panama, a Country that is ripping us off on the Panama Canal, far beyond their wildest dreams,” Trump said in a statement. The president-elect added Cabrera, who also worked for his presidential campaign in Florida, “will do a FANTASTIC job representing our Nation’s interests in Panama!”
Trump on Wednesday continued to tease US territorial expansion in social media posts, criticizing the operation of the canal and doubling down on suggestions the US should absorb Canada and Greenland, a territory controlled by Denmark.
In a sardonic Christmas message, Trump claimed Chinese soldiers are operating the Panama Canal and reiterated his criticism that Panama is exploiting US vessels that use the waterway.
“Merry Christmas to all, including to the wonderful soldiers of China, who are lovingly, but illegally, operating the Panama Canal (where we lost 38,000 people in its building 110 years ago), always making certain that the United States puts in Billions of Dollars in ‘repair’ money, but will have absolutely nothing to say about ‘anything,’” Trump wrote on his Truth Social network.
In the same message, Trump called Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau “governor,” again insinuating Canada should become a US state. He also suggested the citizens of Greenland “want the US to be there, and we will.”
In another post, Trump said he spoke to hockey great Wayne Gretzky on Wednesday about running for prime minister of Canada. Trump said Gretzky wasn’t interested in the role but urged Canadians to rally support for Gretzky.
The Big Panama Canal Conquest, That Didn’t Happen
Trump’s apparent push to expand US territory seems to align with his broader goal of reshaping US trade policy, though it’s hard to say how serious he really is. His suggestion that Canada become the 51st state comes as he threatens to raise tariffs on the nation, while his call to take over the Panama Canal appears to be a pressure tactic to lower fees on American ships using the waterway.
Whether Trump genuinely intends to expand US territory remains unclear. His transition team hasn’t clarified the motivations behind his comments, leaving everyone guessing about his true intentions.
Trump’s Christmas messages on social media were as fiery as ever. Alongside wishing “Merry Christmas to the Radical Left Lunatics,” he lashed out at President Joe Biden’s decision to commute the sentences of 37 federal inmates from death row to life imprisonment.
“I refuse to wish a Merry Christmas to those lucky ‘souls’ but, instead, will say, GO TO HELL!” Trump declared on Truth Social.
The following day, he announced plans to direct his Department of Justice to “vigorously pursue the death penalty,” doubling down on his criticism of Biden’s decision to leave only three federal inmates on death row.
Trump’s weekend remarks also touched on the Panama Canal, suggesting the US should retake control of the critical waterway—a move swiftly rejected by Panama, which has held control for decades.
On social media and during speeches, Trump accused Panama of charging the US “exorbitant rates” for canal usage and hinted at increasing Chinese influence over the area.
“The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous, especially knowing the extraordinary generosity that has been bestowed to Panama by the U.S.,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
For context, the US built the canal, which opened in 1914, and maintained control until a 1977 agreement set the stage for its eventual handover to Panama. The canal was jointly operated until 1999, when Panama took full control.
Speaking to a crowd of young conservatives in Phoenix, Trump warned, “If the spirit of that agreement is not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States. So, to the officials of Panama, please be guided accordingly.”
Whether Trump’s comments signal a genuine plan or just another example of his bombastic rhetoric is anyone’s guess. The president-elect hasn’t explained how he’d convince a friendly, sovereign nation to relinquish control of its territory.
Meanwhile, Panama’s government has made it clear that Trump’s idea is a non-starter.
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino said in a statement.
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino said in a statement.
“As President, I want to express precisely that every square meter of the Panama Canal and its adjacent area belong to PANAMA and will continue to be the sovereignty and independence of our country are not negotiable.”
“As President, I want to make it crystal clear that every inch of the Panama Canal and the land around it belongs to PANAMA, and that’s not up for debate, our country’s sovereignty and independence are non-negotiable”.
A Complicated and Costly History
Before the canal was finished, ships traveling between the east and west coasts of the Americas had to go all the way around Cape Horn at the southern tip of South America. This added thousands of miles and months to their journey.
For centuries, empires with colonies in the Americas dreamed of building a shortcut. But it wasn’t until the early 1900s that President Theodore Roosevelt made it a top priority.
At the time, the territory was under Colombia’s control, but with the help of the US, Panama broke off and became an independent republic in 1903. That same year, the US and Panama signed a treaty giving the US control of a 10-mile stretch of land to build the canal in exchange for payment.
The canal was finished in 1914, solidifying the US as an engineering powerhouse. But it came at a heavy cost—around 5,600 workers died during its construction.
The canal proved crucial during World War II, helping the Allies move between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. However, the relationship between the US and Panama soured over time, especially over who controlled the canal, the treatment of Panamanian workers, and the question of whether the US and Panama should fly their flags together over the Canal Zone.
Things boiled over on January 9, 1964, when anti-American riots broke out in the Canal Zone, leading to several deaths and briefly severing diplomatic ties between the two countries.
After years of negotiations, President Jimmy Carter helped broker two treaties that made the canal neutral and open to all ships, and set up a joint US-Panama control of the zone until 1999, when Panama would take full control.
“Panama has always been unhappy with the original deal because we controlled that 10-mile stretch of land in the middle of their country, and the agreement was made without their input,” Carter said after the treaties were signed. “It was created here in the US, not by Panamanians.”
Carter also added, “This doesn’t give the US any right to meddle in Panama’s internal affairs or take military action against its sovereignty.”
But not everyone was on board with Carter’s plan. In a 1976 speech, presidential candidate Ronald Reagan argued that “the people of the United States” were the rightful owners of the Canal Zone.
Tensions flared again in the late 1980s under Panama’s military leader Manuel Noriega, and the US eventually invaded Panama to remove him during the “war on drugs.”
Present Day Troubles….
Right after Panama took full control of the canal in 2000, the volume of shipping traffic quickly exceeded the canal’s capacity. To keep up, a huge expansion project kicked off in 2007 and wrapped up almost a decade later.
But the area around the canal has been hit with serious droughts, lowering water levels and making it harder for the canal to operate properly. To cope, authorities have put limits on traffic and jacked up the fees to use the canal.
Trump also made a claim about China trying to get more control over Panama and the canal, which isn’t totally without basis. In 2017, Panama signed an agreement saying it wouldn’t recognize Taiwan, a self-governing democracy that China insists belongs to it. Since then, China’s influence around the canal has definitely grown.
In response to Trump’s comments, President Mulino of Panama shot back, saying, “The rates are not just a whim.” He also dismissed the idea that China has any real control over the canal.
“The canal has no control, either direct or indirect, from China, the European Union, the US, or any other power,” Mulino said.
Trump’s comments are just the latest example of him hinting at, or outright suggesting, that he wants to take control of foreign territory. Since his election in November, he’s joked about making Canada the 51st US state and, during his first term, he even floated the idea of buying Greenland from Denmark—though Denmark’s government quickly shut that down, saying it wasn’t for sale.
But Trump doesn’t seem to be backing down. Over the weekend, he brought up the Greenland idea again, saying, “For the sake of national security and freedom around the world, the United States absolutely needs to own and control Greenland.”
