A citizens’ coalition on Wednesday asked Panama’s Supreme Court to declare “unconstitutional” a controversial agreement signed last week that allows the United States to deploy troops in the Canal Zone. During a visit to Panama, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed the pact with Panamanian Security Minister Frank Ábrego. The agreement authorizes Washington to station forces in areas granting access to—and adjacent to—the interoceanic canal for “training,” “exercises,” and other maneuvers.
The pact was inked amid pressure from President Donald Trump, who has threatened to retake control of the waterway by force, arguing it is under Chinese influence—a claim Panama denies. “The United States seeks, by means of that memorandum, to reestablish military bases on Panamanian territory,” lawyer Juan Ramón Sevillano said after filing the unconstitutionality challenge on behalf of the Sal de las Redes civic coalition.
Sevillano argued that the agreement “violates six articles” of Panama’s Constitution as well as the 1977 treaty under which Washington transferred control of the canal to Panama in 1999. President José Raúl Mulino’s government has denied that the pact cedes sovereignty or permits the establishment of U.S. bases, but those assurances have not silenced critics.
Although the three-year agreement—renewable once—does not explicitly mention “military bases,” it has revived fears of the U.S. installations that existed in the former Canal Zone enclave until 1999. “It is an unacceptable cession of sovereignty and an affront to the generational struggles for the liberation of our territory, by allowing the presence and military operations of a foreign country on Panamanian soil,” Sal de las Redes posted on its Instagram account.
“Today we face not only a government that kneels before Trump, but also direct pressure from the United States,” the coalition added. Sal de las Redes was among the organizers of the massive 2023 protests against a Canadian-owned mine, which the Supreme Court subsequently halted.
The canal—opened in 1914 and handling 5% of global maritime trade—was built by the United States. The 1977 treaty guarantees the “neutrality” of the waterway and stipulates that only Panama may maintain military forces in its territory. However, U.S. legislation passed after the treaty’s ratification could, by some interpretations, permit Washington to defend the canal against any threat.
