PANAMA CITY (Reuters) – U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to travel to Panama in April, his Panamanian counterpart said on Tuesday, with the two officials aiming to work together on strategies to combat irregular migration and the flow of drugs.
Panamanian Security Minister Frank Abrego confirmed the two had spoken on the phone on Tuesday in a post on X, adding he hoped to reach “important agreements” with Hegseth when he visits in April.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
President Donald Trump has threatened to take control of the Panama Canal, built by the U.S. in the early 20th century and handed over to Panama in 1999. Trump claimed the canal was being operated by Beijing.
After talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Panama’s President Jose Raul Mulino said his country will not renew its broad agreement to contribute Chinese President Xi Jinping’s signature Belt and Road Initiative. He said Panama’s deal with China was set to expire in two to three years, but did not elaborate.
Washington has argued that Beijing uses its Belt and Road Initiative for “debt trap diplomacy” to cement its global influence.
(Reporting by Elida Moreno. Additional reporting by Idrees Ali in Washington; Editing by Sarah Morland and David Gregorio)
