Trump Taps Miami-Dade Official as Panama Envoy, Suggests US Takeover of Canal
President-elect Donald Trump announced his nominee for US ambassador to Panama on Wednesday, selecting Miami-Dade County Commissioner Kevin Marino Cabrera, CNN reports.
The appointment comes amidst Trump’s escalating rhetoric about the Panama Canal and his suggestions of US territorial expansion.
In a statement, Trump asserted that Panama is “ripping off” American ships using the Panama Canal and declared Cabrera, who also worked for Trump’s presidential campaign in Florida, “will do a FANTASTIC job representing our Nation’s interests in Panama!” Trump’s statement comes after he publicly floated the idea of the US taking control of the waterway.
Trump’s commentary on Panama continued on social media, where he claimed Chinese soldiers are “illegally operating” the canal and criticized Panama for allegedly exploiting US vessels with excessive fees.
Beyond Panama, Trump has also hinted at US expansion elsewhere, including reiterating a suggestion that the US should absorb Canada and Greenland. He even mentioned discussing with hockey legend Wayne Gretzky the possibility of running for prime minister of Canada, though Gretzky reportedly declined.
These remarks appear to be part of a broader strategy by Trump to reshape US trade policy.
Trump’s Christmas messages also included attacks on “Radical Left Lunatics” and criticism of President Joe Biden’s decision to commute the sentences of federal inmates on death row to life imprisonment. Trump has stated he intends to direct his Department of Justice to “vigorously pursue the death penalty.”
