A deal between Panama and the United States, the document of which was seen by the French news agency AFP, will allow the deployment of American soldiers to military bases around the Panama Canal for training and other operations.
A previous draft of the agreement also included the possibility for the United States to build additional military bases in the area.
This option, which would have been highly undesirable to the Panamanian public, was removed. The United States had built several of these bases in the 20th century when it controlled the area around the canal, but they are now managed by the Panamanian government.
The Panama Canal is one of the most important shipping routes in the world, handling 5% of global trade.
It was financed, built, and controlled by the United States for decades, until it was handed back to Panama in 1999 after a long-standing dispute.
Former President Donald Trump recently complained about Chinese influence over the management of the canal (two ports at either end were operated by a Chinese company, which later sold them).
Trump had even suggested the possibility of invading the country to regain control of the canal. The agreement serves Panama to prevent this possibility and allows the United States to reaffirm its influence in the region.
