Protesters Demonstrate Against US Secretary of State Marco Rubio Visit to Panama
People burn a US flag during a protest for the visit of the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, this Sunday in Panama City (Panama). Photo: EFE/ Bienvenido Velasco
February 2, 2025 Hour: 4:01 pm
On Sunday, popular and unions demonstrated in Panama in rejection of Donald Trump’s threats to reclaim the interoceanic canal and against the presence of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who met this morning with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino.
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The protesters, called by the Alliance of the United People for Life, marched peacefully from the central Porras Park towards the premises of the Panamanian Presidency, the meeting point between Mulino and Rubio, but several sections of the road to that point had been closed by the police and riot control forces as a preventive measure.
“Trump wants to strip us of the Channel, but we will defend it firmly, because we were always aware that this stage of national liberation did not end with the treaties since the oligarchy seized this conquest for its own profit preventing the surplus of the Canal,” the Alliance said in a statement this morning.
“One territory, one flag!” “This homeland is not for sale!” “Panama is not for sale!” were some of the various slogans shouted by the participants in the march, among whom were members of the National Union of Construction and Similar Workers (Suntracs).
At the Plaza 5 de Mayo, near the National Assembly (AN, Parliament), the protesters could not advance due to the police cordon.
The situation led to the burning and trampling of images of Trump and Rubio, similar to previous demonstrations in recent days where nationalist reaffirmation actions were also carried out through symbolic “planting of Panamanian flags.”
The People United for Life Alliance, in Panama , rejected the arrival of the Secretary of State of the United States , Marco Rubio, classifying his presence as an offense to the nation.
In a statement, the Alliance pointed out that the stage of national liberation was not completed with the treaties between the northern country and the Channel’s country, since the oligarchy appropriated the profits, limiting access to the surpluses of the Canal and damaging the Social Security Fund (CSS).
Also criticized the creation of a new oligarchic enclave that perpetuates corruption and inequality, however, warns against the idea of replacing the internal enemy with nations that have historically dominated Panama.
The text expresses strong criticism of the current government of Panama, accusing it of being servile to the interests of the United States, specifically in relation to the administration of pension funds and public health through the Social Insurance Fund (CSS).
The alliance calls for unity among all patriots and nationalists to defend national sovereignty and reject proposals that threaten Panamanian dignity, including militarization and the delivery of strategic resources.
In addition, the organization also demands transparency in the negotiations, and expresses repudiation of political figures such as Marco Rubio, noting that his presence in Panama is unacceptable. The conclusion emphasizes the need for resistance against what is perceived as imperialist aggression and the importance of solidarity with other peoples facing similar situations.
Mulino and Rubio held a meeting this Sunday amid the dispute over the interoceanic canal, which Trump has threatened to “recover.”
Rubio, who is in Panama during his first trip as Secretary of State, arrived at the presidential palace of Las Garzas, in the Old Quarter of the Panamanian capital, after attending mass at the nearby church of La Merced.
Following the meeting, the head of U.S. diplomacy has on his agenda a visit to the Miraflores locks, in the canal, and a meeting with the authorities of that infrastructure.
Autor: ACJ
Fuente: EFE
