Pentagon Drafts Options for Potential Panama Canal Seizure

Adm. Alvin Holsey, commander of U.S. Southern Command, has already presented initial strategies to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who is expected to visit Panama next month. While the administration frames the move as an effort to bolster economic security, the president has repeatedly circulated the unsubstantiated claim that the canal is currently controlled by China. Panamanian President José Raúl Molina has firmly rejected these claims, asserting that the canal remains sovereign Panamanian territory.

This aggressive posture arrives despite Panama’s recent efforts to align with U.S. interests, including a $23 billion port deal involving BlackRock and the cancellation of Chinese-led infrastructure projects. Jurist Alonso E. Illueca warns that these appeasement tactics are failing, arguing that Panama should instead seek broader international alliances to resist mounting U.S. pressure. The history of the region remains marked by the 1989 U.S. invasion and the 1964 uprising, complicating the current diplomatic landscape as the administration continues to weigh coercive measures against a strategic ally.