Rubio warns of China’s potential to block Panama Canal in conflict

A demonstrator holds a sign as she takes part in a protest against the visit of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Panama City on Jan. 30, 2025. A cargo ship is towed at the Panama Canal's Agua Clara locks on Gatun Lake in Colon, Panama, on Jan. 29, 2025. On the eve of a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino ruled out any negotiations with the U.S. over the canal.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to embark on his first official trip as the nation’s top diplomat on Saturday, with planned visits to Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic from Saturday to Thursday.