Thousands march over concern Panama bending to US government

PANAMA CITY — Thousands of Panamanians marched in the capital Tuesday in the largest protest yet against an agreement signed during last month's visit by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth giving U.S. troops access to strategic air and naval facilities in the Central American nation.

U.S. President Donald Trump thrust Panama into the spotlight even before winning election last November by suggesting that his country should consider retaking control of the Panama Canal and accusing Panama of ceding influence to China.

Panama has vehemently rejected those comments but also tried to pacify the new administration, which has slapped tariffs on many trade partners.

University students led Tuesday's protest accusing President José Raúl Mulino of sacrificing Panama's sovereignty with the deal.

''We feel like our president is acting against the wishes of many Panamanians and in very sensitive affairs,'' 30-year-old student Tony Ruiz said. ''He signs an agreement behind our back that compromises our sovereignty, our neutrality with the world.

The previous night Foreign Affairs Minister Javier Martínez-Acha said of the agreement with Washington: ''The memorandum of understanding does not imply a surrender of sovereignty, nor does it violate the national constitution, nor the neutrality treaty.''

Bases where the U.S. will get access for military personnel and contractors will always remain under the control of Panama and it can terminate the agreement with six months notice, he said.

Martínez-Acha said the U.S. government acted in bad faith in how it handled the sensitive issue in the media, an apparent reference to Trump's inflammatory comments on the canal, but nonetheless Panama was being ''prudent'' and trying to avoid sanctions that have befallen other countries.

''International cooperation is necessary to strengthen our capabilities,'' he said. ''Collaborating with the United States in this case helps us improve security without affecting our sovereignty or our laws.''

The details of the deal only became public days after Hegseth's visit.

In a separate agreement, Panama also agreed to look for a way for the U.S. government to be reimbursed for fees its naval ships pay to transit the Canal. The Trump administration has argued that it should not be obligated to defend the canal and pay to use it.

The U.S. built the canal in the early 1900s as it looked for ways to facilitate the transit of commercial and military vessels between its coasts. Control of the waterway transferred to Panama in 1999 under a treaty signed in 1977 by President Jimmy Carter.

The Trump administration has also pressured for the Hong Kong-based operator of ports at either end of the canalto sell those interests to a U.S. consortium that includes BlackRock Inc.

While Martínez-Acha suggested that politically motivated opponents are stirring controversy, the student protesters expressed concern about a U.S. return to a country it invaded as recently as 1989.

''We are a neutral country; we cannot take sides with any country,'' said Jam Allard, another student.

''We want our country to be sovereign.''