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.

Carter's restrained statesmanship at the height of US dominance stands in contrast to Trump's bellicose rhetoric as his country's influence declines Almost half a century after US president Jimmy Carter signed the Torrijos-Carter Treaties in 1977,

The aggressive rhetoric of US President Donald Trump has shocked Panamanians, who see the waterway as a source of enormous national pride. View on euronews

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 President José Raúl Mulino says there will be no negotiation with the United States over ownership of the Panama Canal. He also says that he hopes U.S.

In recent weeks, when he was President-elect Donald Trump publicly said that Panama should return the Panama Canal to the United States, and he would not rule out using military force to reclaim it. At his presidential Inauguration on Monday Trump doubled down on saying that his new administration was going to take back the canal.

During Monday’s inauguration, Donald Trump repeated his threat to retake the Panama Canal. The United States controlled the waterway since the early 20th century, but in 1977 President Jimmy Carter signed a landmark treaty to give Panama control of the canal.

In his speech, Trump vowed to lead a government that "expands our territory," referencing his ambitions to acquire Greenland from Denmark and reclaim U.S. control of the Panama Canal. However, the path to achieving these goals remains uncertain, as he is likely to face resistance both domestically and internationally.

The neutrality of the nearly 50-mile canal, through which nearly 15,000 ships transit each year, is enshrined in Panama’s Constitution and is enforced by the autonomous Panama Canal Authority.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s insistence that he wants to have the Panama Canal back under U.S. control is feeding nationalist sentiment and worry in Panama, home to the critical trade route and a country familiar with U.

Panama took full control of the canal in 1999, which it operates through the Panama Canal Authority (PCA). In December, Mr Trump threatened to seize control of the canal, declaring the waterway as vital to America’s security and economic interests but it was being run in a “very unfair and injudicious way”.

One issue gaining interest concerns the Panama Canal, which has operated since its opening in 1914. France was an original sponsor in constructing a canal. A canal could pay immense dividends for trade and commerce in the region by drastically cutting distance and travel time from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean.