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Marco Rubio expands the 'border' of the USA: "It doesn't start in Texas and Mexico, it starts much earlier"

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The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, concludes his visit to Panama overseeing a migrant repatriation flight to Colombia, and continues his tour through Central America, which will take him to El Salvador, in an effort to reduce the migratory flow towards the United States

Secretary of State Marco Rubio deplanes in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio deplanes in San Jose, Costa Rica.AP

American Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a warning to Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino: Immediately reduce what President Donald Trump considers Chinese influence over the Panama Canal area or face possible repercussions.

Rubio, who toured the Central American nation and the Panama Canal on his first trip abroad as the top U.S. diplomat, held in-person discussions with Mulino, who has resisted pressures from the new U.S. government regarding the Panamanian administration of a vital waterway for global trade.

Mulino told reporters after the meeting that he feels "there is no real threat to retake the canal or use force."

In statements on behalf of Trump, who has demanded the canal return to U.S. control, Rubio informed Mulino that Trump believed China's presence in the canal area violates a treaty that led Washington to hand over the waterway to Panama in 1999. That treaty requires the canal's permanent neutrality, built by Americans.

"Secretary Rubio made it clear that this status quo is unacceptable and that, if there are no immediate changes, the United States will have to take necessary measures to protect its rights under the treaty," the State Department noted in a summary of the meeting.

The statement was unusually direct in diplomatic terms but in line with the tone Trump has set for foreign policy. Trump has increased pressure on Washington's neighbors and allies, including his demand regarding the canal, and on Saturday announced a 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico, triggering retaliatory measures from these close allies and sparking a trade war.

Meanwhile, Mulino indicated that his meeting with Rubio was "respectful" and "positive," stating that he does not feel "there is a threat against the treaty and its validity."