Newly appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit Panama for his first international trip as the country’s top diplomat, Fox News has learned.
Although details are still being worked out, the visit could take place as early as next week.
The planned visit follows a repeated pledge by President Donald Trump – who returned to the White House on Monday – to take back the Panama Canal.
Trump again mentioned the Panama Canal during his inauguration speech on Monday and claimed it was now in China’s hands and vowed to take it back.
Marco Rubio clashes with NBC ‘Today’ host after Trump puts pressure on Jan. 6 pardon
Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks after Vice President J.D. Vance takes the oath of office at the Vice Presidential Ceremonial Office Building in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
“China is operating the Panama Canal. And we didn’t give it to China, we gave it to Panama and we’re taking it back,” Trump said.
Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino responded strongly to Trump’s comments on Wednesday, saying, “We completely reject everything Mr. Trump has said. First, because it is wrong and second, because the Panama Canal It is Panama and will remain so in future.
Marshall Islands cargo ship Cape Hellas (L) and Portuguese cargo ship MSC Alma sail on Gatun Lake near the Agua Clara Locks of the Panama Canal in Colon City, Panama on December 28, 2024. (Arnulfo Franco/AFP via Getty Images)
The US built the canal in the early 1900s under then-President Theodore Roosevelt as it was looking for ways to facilitate the transit of commercial and military ships between its coasts. Washington relinquished control of the waterway to Panama on December 31, 1999, under a treaty signed in 1977 by then-President Jimmy Carter.
Trump warns FEMA they will face retaliation after Biden admin: ‘They didn’t do their job’
News of Rubio’s trip was first reported by Politico and may also include other Central American countries such as Guatemala and El Salvador, where Rubio is expected to address the top priority of stopping mass migration that he has made outlined earlier this week.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is sworn in by Vice President J.D. Vance at the Vice President Ceremonial Office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, as his wife Jeanette Rubio looks on. , (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told Fox News that “Secretary Rubio is prioritizing this region because this is where we live,” adding, “We will not continue to ignore this region like other administrations have.” Will keep.”
Click here to get the Fox News app
He added: “Engaging with our neighbors is a critical element in addressing migration, supply chains and economic growth, which is key to Secretary Rubio’s foreign policy focused on making America stronger, more prosperous, and safer.”
Adam Shaw of Fox News Digital and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
