The White House has instructed the US military to develop plans for augmenting US troop presence in Panama in order to fulfil US President Donald Trump’s objective of “reclaiming” the Panama Canal, as reported by NBC.
NBC, referencing two unnamed U.S. officials, reported that US Southern Command is evaluating various scenarios. These range from enhancing collaboration with the Panamanian military to the more improbable alternative of forcibly taking control of the Panama Canal.
US Southern Command is formulating various plans, ranging from a closer collaboration with Panamanian security forces to the less probable scenario of US troops taking control of the Panama Canal by military means, according to officials. They noted that the decision to employ military force will depend on the extent of cooperation from Panamanian security forces with the United States.
Officials stated that a US invasion of Panama is improbable and would only be seriously contemplated if an increased American military presence in the country fails to achieve President Trump’s objective of regaining control of the waterway, according to the officials.
The objective of the Trump administration is to enhance the US military presence in Panama in order to reduce China’s influence in the region, especially regarding access to the canal, according to officials.
