🇺🇸 Hegseth Heads to Panama After Trump’s Panama Canal Demands: “We Gave It Away Foolishly”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to travel to Panama next week amid rising U.S. concerns over Chinese influence near the strategically critical Panama Canal — a move prompted by former President Donald Trump’s recent push to reclaim American leverage in the region. 📍Trump has repeatedly slammed the 1977 treaty that handed control of the canal to Panama, calling it a “foolish giveaway” by President Jimmy Carter. He also accused China of gaining influence over the canal through Hong Kong-based business ties — a charge Panama’s government denies. 💼 Hegseth will attend the 2025 Central American Security Conference and hold meetings with regional leaders to bolster defense partnerships and protect U.S. interests across the Western Hemisphere. 🚢 Following Trump’s pressure, a Hong Kong-based conglomerate agreed to sell its stake in key ports near the Panama Canal to a consortium led by U.S. firm BlackRock Inc. The deal includes 43 ports in 23 countries — notably