Panama City — The University of Panama has issued a strong statement accusing the United States of undermining Panamanian dignity and sovereignty through recent visits by high-ranking U.S. officials.
The nation’s premier institution of higher learning declared on Tuesday that these visits were aimed at overseeing the Panama Canal, a key global trade route that has been under Panamanian control since the U.S. handed it over in 1999.
“The goal of U.S. government interference was to supervise the Panama Canal,” the university said in its statement. “They are eagerly trying to subdue Panamanians in order to supervise the Canal and reestablish military bases on our soil.”
Earlier this month, Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino met with several top U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Admiral Alvin Holsey, head of the U.S. Southern Command.
The university noted that these visits coincided with protests from unions and social organizations rejecting U.S. attempts to influence Panama’s national affairs.
“With the latest of the envoys, the situation is extremely delicate, as activities of a military nature took place,” the statement added, without providing further details.
The University of Panama called for the neutrality of the Panama Canal to be respected and emphasized the rights of Panamanians as “architects of our destiny, free from foreign interference.”
“It is imperative to free ourselves from all subordination to the interventionist policies of the United States,” the university asserted. “The Republic of Panama has no reason to align itself with the warmongering policies of the current U.S. president.”
The statement warned that the U.S. appears to be “returning to the days of the ‘Big Stick,'” referencing a period in history when the U.S. exerted significant influence over Latin America through military might. It urged vigilance against policies that could undermine Panama’s sovereignty.
