Panama pressured to allow U.S. military access to Canal Zone bases
«Secretary Hegseth’s visit to Panama resulted in historic victories for the Trump administration and the Panamanian people. Our nations have agreed to restore and expand joint U.S.-Panamanian military training centers and security cooperation. The United States has also secured “first and free” passage for its military vessels through the Canal, in accordance with the Treaty on the Permanent Neutrality and Operation of the Panama Canal. The United States and Panama stand shoulder to shoulder in addressing common security challenges and countering the Chinese Communist Party. We are freeing the Canal from harmful Chinese influence and defending American interests. We look forward to continued cooperation with our Panamanian partners. Let’s make America great again».
This triumphant statement by Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, summarizing the outcome of U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s visit to Panama, paints a far rosier picture than the reality on the ground.
Prior to the visit, the Trump administration had instructed the U.S. military to draw up scenarios for the possible «return» of the Panama Canal to American control. According to NBC News, Admiral Alvin Holsey, commander of the U.S. Southern Command, presented Hegseth with a range of options — from deepening military cooperation with Panama to seizing the Canal by force.
Trump’s desire to regain control of the Canal was no secret; he had expressed it during his presidential campaign. And now a pretext has emerged: the alleged threat posed by Chinese military forces allegedly stationed near the Canal Zone.
Both Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino and the Chinese government have flatly denied these claims. What is certain is that more than 200 U.S. troops — some of them Special Forces — are now on Panamanian soil. Officially, they are working with local forces to quell «internal unrest». No Chinese troops are present, let alone involved in street operations.
Yet during his visit, the U.S. defense chief boldly declared that America would «take back» the Canal to stop China’s expansion. After talks with the Panamanian government, Hegseth pledged to deepen security cooperation and warned that China would not be allowed to «weaponize the Canal for espionage» in pursuit of its commercial interests. The U.S. military presence will be expanded to include three former American bases to «protect the Panama Canal from Chinese influence», Hegseth declared.
Hegseth, the first U.S. defense secretary to visit Panama in decades, capped his tour with a propaganda-style flyover of the Canal in a Black Hawk helicopter alongside American troops and Panamanian security forces.
At the end of the three-day visit, Panamanian Public Security Minister Frank Alexis Ábrego and Secretary Hegseth signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding granting U.S. forces access to Panamanian security facilities.
The 22-point memorandum outlines parameters of cooperation that will allow U.S. troops to be deployed in Panama for training purposes and to use government-operated facilities. The full document includes aerial photographs of Fort Sherman, Rodman Naval Base, and Howard Air Base, with marked zones designated for «training, humanitarian activities, and storage of U.S. equipment».
Although the agreement does not allow the U.S. to build permanent bases, the Pentagon will be allowed to maintain long-term rotational forces in Panama — similar to arrangements in other countries — for training exercises and «other activities».
As noted by France 24, the agreement gives Washington considerable leeway to deploy an unspecified number of troops to Panamanian bases. If the Pentagon decides that additional infrastructure is needed, Panama is expected to «accept any deployment» of U.S. forces.
«This is a camouflaged invasion», said Ricardo Lombana, leader of the MOCA party (Movimiento Otro Camino — «Another Way Movement»). «An invasion without firing a shot, but with cudgel and threats».
Another agreement reached during the visit allows U.S. Navy ships to receive compensation for Canal tolls, a preferential treatment that appears to violate the principle of neutrality.
At a White House briefing, Hegseth told President Trump: «We’re restoring the Canal. China had too much leverage. Obama and others let them in. We are pushing them out, sir — along with Panama».
To which Trump replied: «We’ve moved a lot of troops into Panama and taken control of areas we didn’t have before — but now they’re ours».
Panama’s foreign ministry quickly responded: «Not an inch of sovereignty has been ceded. The agreement is aimed at strengthening cooperation in the protection of the Canal in the event of significant threats». Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha insisted that the increased U.S. presence is «temporary».
Since Trump’s inaugural address on January 20, in which he declared his intention to «take back» the Panama Canal, negotiations have largely been conducted behind closed doors to avoid raising concerns among Americans — or outrage among Panamanians.
This secrecy has led to conflicting reports from Washington and Panama. In early February, following Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit, President Mulino told the press that the meeting was «very cordial» and that the Canal was not in danger. Rubio, however, called the situation «unacceptable» to Washington, and Trump continued to push for the Canal’s return.
Inconsistencies also marred Hegseth’s visit. In the Spanish-language version of the joint U.S.-Panamanian statement, Hegseth «recognized Panama’s leadership and inalienable sovereignty over the Canal and surrounding areas». The English version omitted such recognition. As Estrella de Panamá pointed out, this recognition was also absent from Hegseth’s remarks at the press conference — where he notably refused to affirm Panama’s ownership of the Canal.
Analysts agree that the visit and the memorandum are neither the beginning nor the end of the Panama issue. Rather, it is a test of wills — of which side has the strength and determination to shape the Сanal’s future.
For many Panamanians, the return of U.S. military forces evokes painful memories of Operation Just Cause in 1989, when U.S. troops invaded Panama on December 24 to oust strongman Manuel Noriega. The operation left more than 500 Panamanians dead and parts of Panama City in ruins.
«We’re going to take it back», Trump warned in early February, «or something very powerful is going to happen».
It seems he’s itching for another December 1989.