The president of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, denounced that an official from the United States embassy has been threatening to withdraw the visas of members of his government amid pressure from Washington for the country to reduce its relations with China.. During his weekly conference, the president described this practice as incompatible with the relationship he seeks to maintain with the United States, although he did not present evidence or reveal the name of the official involved.
The US embassy responded that the issuance of visas is a privilege and recalled that there has been a policy in force since September that restricts access to the country to Central American citizens who act on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party or violate the rule of law. Within the framework of this policy, the US government has revoked visas of individuals linked to Chinese influence and even those who made comments considered offensive, as occurred with six foreigners after the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Similar cases have been recorded in other countries in the region. Former Costa Rican president Óscar Arias and the vice president of Congress, Vanessa Castro, denounced the cancellation of their visas in circumstances related to alleged contacts with the Chinese Communist Party.
The situation is particularly delicate for Panama due to the strategic importance of the Canal, where the United States has intensified its pressure to limit Chinese influence. In February, Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged the Panamanian government to reduce Beijing’s involvement in the canal’s operations. Although Panama has denied that China exercises control over its operations, it agreed to a Hong Kong-based company selling its port concession to a US consortium.
Mulino insisted that the country will maintain the neutrality of the channel and criticized the use of visas as a tool of political pressure. “They are free to grant or withdraw a visa, but not to threaten saying that if you don’t do something, they will take it away,” he declared, stressing that the geopolitical conflict between Washington and Beijing should not involve Panama.
