Securing Liberty in the Americas: Why the Panama Canal and Cuba's Freedom Still Matter to Our Nation

In recent weeks, President-elect Donald Trump has renewed his focus on U.S. interests in the Western Hemisphere, particularly Latin America and the Caribbean. This signals what could be a significant shift in American policy toward the region. Most of the President’s picks to serve in his administration understand the area’s importance, but the president’s worldview and public statements are even more critical.

The President’s public and repeated remarks about the danger of transnational crime, such as Venezuelan gangs, or the strategic importance of the Panama Canal and fixing the Cuba problem, among others, are striking for an American president. Trump sat down with Tucker Carlson a few months ago and talked about China and its military installations in Cuba, and he wants China out of Cuba and, of course, out of the meddling with the canal. Yesterday on Truth Social, President Trump repeated his warning to China and Panama about the canal:

Critics may dismiss such statements as mere bluster, but to do so is to misunderstand the central role these issues play in ensuring liberty and stability in the Americas. Why don’t his critics get as worked up with China’s control of the canal?

For more than a century, the Panama Canal has been a linchpin of U.S. and global security, connecting the world’s major oceans and serving as a critical choke point for commerce. In the foreseeable future, it will continue to be essential for international trade and commerce. Its value goes far beyond trade; the canal represents a vital strategic foothold for ensuring freedom of navigation, deterring adversaries, and securing the broader region against destabilizing influences.

In 2013, one year before the 100th anniversary of the canal’s opening, I visited the region and took a side trip to the Miraflores Locks. Standing at the edge of this engineering marvel, I was struck not only by the sheer ingenuity it represents but also by its enduring role in shaping global trade and geopolitics. I also wondered why we gave this up the way we did. I knew why. Jimmy Carter.

President Trump, the first president since the $1 deal, seems to have decided to take a closer look at this terrible deal for the American people. The current President of Panama is upset, but that is on him and prior Panamanian politicians who have allowed Communist China unique access to the canal and that vitally important region for America and other freedom-loving people.