U.S. Secretary of Defense to Visit Panama This Week for Panama Canal Restoration Talks

U.S. Secretary of Defense to Visit Panama This Week for Panama Canal Restoration Talks

U.S. Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, will visit Panama next week, the Pentagon announced in a statement on Friday. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said that Hegseth will participate in the 2025 Central America Security Conference in Panama, where he will hold multiple bilateral meetings with the country's top government, military, and security officials.

The statement said, "Secretary Hegseth will engage in bilateral meetings to strengthen our partnership with Panama and other Central American countries to develop a shared vision for ensuring peace and security in the Western Hemisphere."

During his visit, Pete Hegseth will also meet members of the 7th Special Forces Group at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has long called for the restoration of the Panama Canal. He stated, "To further strengthen our national security, my administration has initiated the process to restore the Panama Canal."

In response to Trump's demand, Panama's President José Raúl Mulino stated, "There is no process underway to return the Panama Canal, and we have not discussed this matter with anyone."

Additionally, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Panama a month ago, but President Mulino commented that Trump's statements were false and disrespectful to their national dignity.