President-elect Donald J. Trump has appointed Kevin Marino Cabrera, a Miami-Dade County commissioner and former Trump campaign staffer, as the US ambassador to Panama. The appointment comes after Trump called for increased US control over the Panama Canal, which connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans through the country.
Cabrera, who won Trump’s endorsement in January when he ran for vice chairman of the Florida Republican Party, has expressed support for the MAGA movement. However, his views on the Panama Canal are unknown.
The appointment follows Trump’s criticism of Panama for charging high fees to US ships using the canal. Trump has accused the country of “ripping us off” and threatened to demand the return of the canal if its fees are not reduced.
The US controlled the Panama Canal from 1914 to 1979, but it passed control to the Panama Canal Commission in 1999. The commission is a joint agency of the two countries.
Trump has expressed concern that the canal could fall into Chinese hands, but he has no control over its operation. The Hong Kong-based firm controlling two ports near the waterway has no control over the canal itself.
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino Quintero has pushed back against Trump’s comments, stating that the Panama Canal is an integral part of his country and will remain so.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/25/us/politics/panama-ambassador-cabrera-trump.html