President Trump’s escalating rhetoric over the Panama Canal has transformed diplomatic tensions into a full-blown crisis.

Trump’s assertion during his March 5 congressional address that “to further enhance our national security, my administration will be reclaiming the Panama Canal, and we’ve already started doing it,” represents the culmination of two months of increasingly provocative rhetoric that has sent tremors through Panama’s government and across the international landscape.

Trump has methodically intensified his claims since his second term began.

Panama’s response has been strategically sophisticated. Amb. Eloy Alfaro formally invoked UN Charter Article 2(4) prohibiting “threats against territorial integrity,” while Vice Minister Carlos Guevara Mann marshaled multilateral support through the Organization of American States.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s hastily arranged Panama City visit in January has only deepened the diplomatic clash, particularly after contradictory statements emerged within hours of his departure. The State Department’s unilateral declaration that “U.S. government vessels can now transit the Panama Canal without charge fees” prompted an immediate, authoritative rebuke from the Canal Authority, which confirmed it had “not made any adjustments” to its toll structure. This stance is striking given the relatively modest $25.4 million in U.S. military transit fees over the last 25 years. Far from calming the waters, Rubio’s visit crystallized the fundamental disconnect between American expectations and Panamanian autonomy.

Following Trump’s congressional........

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