Secretary of State Marco Rubio embarks soon on his inaugural trip as the United States’ top diplomat. His first stop, Panama could prove to be the most contentious on the itinerary.

Panama has owned and administered the Panama Canal for nearly three decades. President Trump wants to change that to counter growing Chinese influence in Latin America.

Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino on Thursday ruled out negotiations with the United States over ownership of the Panama Canal as he prepares to host Donald Trump's Secretary of State Marco Rubio.Trump,

While repeating Trump’s lies about Panama, Senate leaders from both parties provide fraudulent justifications for a military intervention against the impoverished Central American country.

Panama President José Raúl Mulino says there will be no negotiation with the United States over ownership of the Panama Canal

“The waterway is now managed by the Panama Canal Authority, an autonomous government entity ... Benjamin Gedan, director of the Latin America Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C., agrees.

Newly inaugurated U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing to "take back" the Panama Canal, the world's second busiest interoceanic waterway.

Republicans hoping to thwart Beijing’s influence in Latin America are urging the Panamanian government to cut ties with Chinese entities.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio asserts that President Trump's interest in acquiring Greenland and reasserting control over the Panama Canal stems from legitimate national security threats posed by China's growing influence in these strategic areas.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio asserts that President Trump’s interest in acquiring Greenland and reasserting control over the Panama Canal stems from legitimate national security threats posed by China’s growing influence in these strategic areas.

The Panama Canal’s future security may depend less on scrutinizing foreign presences and more on rekindling the kind of robust American partnership that made the Canal’s success possible in the