The US State Department said Landau had “expressed gratitude for Panama’s cooperation in halting illegal immigration and working with the US to secure a nearly 98% decrease in illegal immigration
Panama hopes to maintain a “respectful” relationship with the United States, even as President Donald Trump has repeated threats to retake the Panama Canal, Foreign Minister Javier Martinez-Acha said Saturday. His comments came ahead of a visit next week by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a trip made more urgent against the backdrop of Trump’s threats and his allegations of Chinese interference in the canal.
“We discussed illegal migration, organized crime, drug trafficking and (other issues),” Martinez-Acha wrote on X of a call Friday with US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau. “It was a cordial and constructive exchange.” “I reiterated that all cooperation from Panama will take place under the framework of our constitution, our laws, and the Canal Neutrality Treaty,” he wrote. “Relations with the US must remain respectful, transparent and mutually beneficial.”
The US State Department said Landau had “expressed gratitude for Panama’s cooperation in halting illegal immigration and working with the United States to secure a nearly 98 percent decrease in illegal immigration through the Darien jungle,” an arduous path northward followed by many migrants.
The two officials also discussed the sale last month by the Hong Kong company CK Hutchison to giant US asset manager BlackRock of its concession in ports at either end of the Panama Canal, Martinez-Acha added. Panama’s comptroller has been conducting an audit of Hutchison since January. Landau “recognized Panama’s actions in curbing malign Chinese Communist Party influence,” the State Department said. The deal was set to close on April 2 but has been held up as Chinese regulators pursue an investigation.
The United States and China are the two biggest users of the Panama Canal, which handles five percent of global maritime trade, giving it vital economic and geostrategic importance. It was inaugurated by the United States in 1914 and has been in Panamanian hands since 1999.
After Trump’s threats, a Hong Kong-based conglomerate has agreed to sell its controlling stake in a subsidiary that operates ports near the Panama Canal to a consortium including BlackRock Inc., effectively putting the ports under American control. The deal will give the US investment management company BlackRock Inc. control over 43 ports in 23 countries, including the ports of Balboa and Cristobal, located at either end of the Panama Canal. Other ports are in Mexico, the Netherlands, Egypt, Australia, Pakistan and elsewhere.
The transaction must be approved by Panama’s government, which has maintained that it has full control over the canal and that the Hong Kong-based group’s operation of the ports did not amount to Chinese control over the waterway.
Parnell said Hegseth also will stop at Eglin Air Force Base to visit service members and command leadership at the 7th Special Forces Group.
Maersk Buys Panama Canal Railway
Meanwhile, Danish shipping powerhouse A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S purchased a railway linking ports at both ends of the Panama Canal, undermining the United States’ presence along a key trade route where Donald Trump is trying to elbow out competitors. Maersk’s port operator, APM Terminals, acquired the Panama Canal Railway Co., the owner of the line that stretches across the isthmus nation, from a joint venture between Canadian Pacific Kansas City and the U.S.’s Lanco Group. Maersk ranks No. 6 on the Transport Topics Top 50 list of the largest global freight carriers.
“The sale of this noncore asset creates value for our shareholders and reflects our commitment to optimize our assets as we focus on growing our core North American rail business through our rivaled three-nation network connecting Canada, the U.S. and Mexico,” CPKC CEO Keith Creel said in a statement.
The Calgary-based company, which operates routes across North America, didn’t disclose how much it received for the sale of the 47-mile (76-km) railway running along the waterway that links the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. For months, Trump has railed against encroaching Chinese influence of the Panama Canal, which the U.S. built last century and then ceded control over nearly three decades ago. The Republican president insists the handover was a bad deal and has threatened to “take back” the waterway.
Panama’s government declined to comment on a private transaction not related to operations of the canal. In March, BlackRock Inc. led an acquisition of two ports on either side of the Panama Canal from Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison for a $19 billion cash deal. Beijing bristled at the sale, which now may be delayed. The railway “represents an attractive infrastructure investment in the region aligned to our core services of intermodal container movement,” APM Terminals CEO Keith Svendsen said.
