Panama Canal 'Donroe Doctrine': Old Wine, Same Grapes
📰 THE STORY: Axios reports that the Trump administration expects Panama’s Supreme Court to cancel a crucial Panama Canal ports contract held by Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison, a firm with alleged ties to the Chinese government. This move is presented as central to President Trump's 'Donroe Doctrine' – a reassertion of unquestioned U.S. dominance across the Western Hemisphere, echoing the 1823 Monroe
Doctrine. The administration touts it as a win for Panamanian taxpayers, despite U.S. geopolitical interests clearly taking precedence. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The U.S. didn't just 'acquire' the Panama Canal. In 1903, the U.S. actively supported Panama's secession from Colombia to secure the rights to build and control the Canal. For decades, the Canal Zone effectively
functioned as a U.S. colony, with Panamanian sovereignty severely limited until the 1977 Torrijos-Carter Treaties finally set a timetable for full Panamanian control by 1999. This 'Donroe Doctrine' is simply a modern iteration of the 1904 Roosevelt Corollary, which asserted the U.S. right to intervene in Latin American nations to stabilize them economically, preventing European intervention – or,
rather, ensuring U.S. economic hegemony. Double Standard: The media frames U.S. pressure on Panama as protecting 'national security' and 'taxpayers,' while simultaneously ignoring the colossal economic leverage and political interference Washington routinely exerts globally. When China invests in strategic infrastructure abroad, it's 'debt trap diplomacy' or 'influence.' When the U.S. does it, or