The President of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, reported that the memorandum of understanding signed in 2017 between Panama and China on the Silk Road will not be renewed, it will also allow the United States to use the Metetí airport, in Darién, for its migrant deportation plan and also invited them to participate in the next investment projects that the country will take out, after a long-awaited meeting with the Secretary of State, Marcos Rubio.
Mulino explained that this decision on the Silk Road has been taken by his government and has already been communicated to the US delegation. “We are going to study if it can be finished earlier, but I think the renewal is scheduled for one or two years from now. This initiative that was signed at the time, will not be renewed by my Government,” the president said.
In addition, the Panamanian president announced that Panama will collaborate with the United States in the management of the migratory problem, which also affects the country. In this sense, he agreed to facilitate the use of the Metetí airport, in Darién, to allow an orderly flow of illegal immigrants.
Mulino said that the costs of these operations will be borne by the United States, and that this Monday an expatriation operation of Colombian immigrants will be carried out, in which Secretary of State Rubio will be present, taking advantage of his visit to the country.
The president also expressed concern about the increase in the irregular flow of illegal immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Iran, and stressed that this situation requires joint attention.
As for foreign investments, Mulino called on American businessmen to consider investing more in Panama, arguing that the absence of ambassadors in recent years had affected the flow of investments in the country.
Regarding the Panama Canal and speculations about Chinese influence in its operation, Mulino reported that Administrator Ricaurte Vásquez and technicians from the Panama Canal Authority will meet with the US authorities to clarify the matter. “Panama’s sovereignty is not in question,” stressed the president, who also announced that Rubio will visit the Miraflores locks in the Canal.
In relation to the ports operated by Chinese companies on both banks of the Canal, Mulino explained that these are being subjected to audits, and that once they conclude, a decision will be made in this regard.
The president also expressed his willingness to a future meeting with US President Donald Trump to discuss these and other issues. “I hope we can have a face-to-face meeting with President Trump,” Mulino said.
The president stressed that the meeting with the Secretary of State was respectful and productive, and assured that there were no signs of controversy. “I didn’t feel any climate of disrespect. It was a very proactive environment, willing to solve any doubts. We want to work with the United States in good faith,” Mulino concluded.
However, at the end of the meeting, Secretary of State Rubió posted a comment on social network X in which he said that the Chinese Communist Party’s control over the Panama Canal area represents a threat to the operation of the canal and a violation of the Treaty on Permanent Neutrality and the Panama Canal Operation.
He made it clear that this “status quo” is unacceptable to the United States, and that, if there were no immediate changes, the country would take the necessary measures to protect its rights under the Treaty.