Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Panama on his first trip abroad as America’s chief diplomat.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Thursday that Rubio will also make stops in Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic on the trip that begins late next week.
The visit to Panama comes as President Donald Trump has railed against the South American country for weeks, calling for the United States to reclaim the Panama Canal. He suggested in his inauguration address on Monday that retaking the waterway would be an administration priority.
“We have been treated very badly from this foolish gift that should have never been made, and Panama’s promise to us has been broken,” Trump said in the Capitol rotunda. “The purpose of our deal and the spirit of our treaty has been totally violated.”
Later on Monday, as he signed a flurry of executive orders, Trump again brought up the canal, which he incorrectly claimed that China controls.
“China controls the Panama Canal. What’s that all about? When Jimmy Carter gave it, which was a terrible mistake, a terrible mistake, he didn’t give it to China, he gave it to Panama,” Trump said.