The Americas| Donald Trump’s canal
Panama’s giveaway game
Panama has made a series of concessions to Donald Trump. It has not helped
Panama's President Jose Mulino and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrive for a meeting at presidential palace in Panama City, Panama.
The shape of a shakedownPhotograph: Reuters
He could have declared victory. On March 4th Donald Trump stood to address the US Congress hours after BlackRock, an investment firm based in New York, announced that it would acquire two ports at either end of the Panama Canal from CK Hutchison, their Hong Kong-based operator. It was Mr Trump’s biggest triumph yet in his campaign to increase American influence over the canal, which he has pursued since his election as president in November. But instead of crowing, Mr Trump doubled down, and repeated his intention to reclaim the waterway. His secretary of state, Marco Rubio, would be “to blame if anything goes wrong”.