Panama President José Raúl Mulino says there will be no negotiation with the United States over ownership of the Panama Canal. He also says that he hopes U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s upcoming visit will allow them to focus on shared interests like migration and combating drug trafficking. Being the destination for the first overseas visit by the top U.S. diplomat would have been big for Panama in any case, but Rubio comes as the emissary of U.S. President Donald Trump who has repeatedly suggested the U.S. retake the Panama Canal.
