The Secretary of State of the United States of America, Marco Rubio, visited the Panama Canal as part of his official trip to the region, which includes Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic.
Secretary Rubio, accompanied by a delegation of representatives from the United States government, was received at the Miraflores locks by the Canal Administrator, Ricaurte Vásquez Morales, whom expressed the Canal’s ongoing commitment to ensure a safe, uninterrupted and efficient operation.
During his visit, Secretary Rubio observed the operations of the Miraflores locks and received a firsthand explanation of their functioning from the control booth.
The Panama Canal Authority conveyed to Secretary Rubio its intention to work with the U.S. Navy to optimize transit priority of U.S. Navy vessels through the Panama Canal.
Secretary Rubio wanted to especially greet Edwin Miranda, Canal guide with 23 years of service at the Canal and who attended him during his visit as a senator in 2018.
The Panama Canal is a significant driver of the commercial relationship between the United States and Panama. In 2024, 52% of transits through the Canal had ports of origin or destination in the United States. Additionally, more than 76% of the cargo that transited the Canal had the United States as its origin or destination, and more than three-quarters of this cargo used the Neopanamax lock.