US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Panama’s president on Sunday on the opening stop of his first foreign trip as America’s top diplomat as US President Donald Trump increased pressure on Washington’s neighbours and allies, including a demand for the Panama Canal to be returned to the United States.
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A day after Trump announced he was imposing major tariffs on Canada and Mexico, prompting retaliation from those countries, Rubio was taking perhaps a less confrontational and more diplomatic approach cordially greeting Panama’s foreign minister, although neither he nor President José Raúl Mulino spoke publicly at their meeting.
Rubio then planned to tour an energy facility and later the canal, the object of Trump’s intense interest.
Mulino has said there will be no negotiation with the US over ownership of the canal, and some Panamanians have staged protests over Trump’s plans.
On Sunday, about 200 people marched in Panama City, carrying Panamanian flags and shouting “Marco Rubio out of Panama”, “Long live national sovereignty” and “One territory, one flag” while the meeting was going on. Some burned a banner with images of Trump and Rubio after being stopped short of the presidential palace by riot police.
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Mulino said he hoped Rubio’s visit would focus on shared interests such as migration and combating drug trafficking.