Trump Orders Military To Plan ‘Reclaiming’ Of Panama Canal, Sparking Global Uproar

United States President Donald Trump has allegedly ordered the military to draw up plans to “reclaim” the Panama Canal, and this has raised alarms regarding possible military intervention. US Southern Command has been directed to draw up a variety of plans, although it is not clear exactly what “reclaim” entails, NBC News reports.

The move is part of Trump’s broader ambitions to assert US control over key global territories. In addition to the Panama Canal, he has previously expressed intentions to annex Canada, Greenland, and even Gaza. During a recent address to Congress, he reinforced his commitment, stating, “To further enhance our national security, my administration will be reclaiming the Panama Canal, and we’ve already started doing it.”

The military is also planning several different scenarios ranging from diplomatic pressure and heightened presence to all-out military action, the report said. Some of the plans include enhanced cooperation with Panama’s military and protecting US ships sailing through the canal. More drastic measures include forceful takeover and operation of the canal, seizure of strategic ports along the way, and deployment of US Army engineers to operate it.

One of the most confrontational proposals on the table is to station American troops along the border near Panama to defend against possible threats in the area. One of the top goals, officials say, is to deny access to the canal to China, which is important for international commerce. The Trump administration has come to see more and more the expanding influence of Beijing in Latin America as a national security threat, and dominance of the Panama Canal as a means of balancing that influence.

It is not known whether the United States will ultimately use military force, as officials have said the response will be determined by Panama’s cooperation. Still, the fact that such action is being contemplated represents a serious escalation of US foreign policy, one that could be the prelude to a geopolitics confrontation in the region.