Secretary of State Marco Rubio is gearing up for his first foreign tour, with Panama on his itinerary, amid rising tensions over the Panama Canal.

What Happened: Rubio’s inaugural foreign trip as Secretary of State will also include Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic. However, these plans are still tentative, according to officials privy to the matter, reported Politico.

This visit, which could reportedly take place as early as next week, follows President Donald Trump’s controversial remarks hinting at the U.S. potentially reclaiming the Panama Canal. These comments have sparked a diplomatic spat with Panama. “The Panama Canal belongs to Panama and will continue to belong to Panama,” asserted Panama’s President, José Raúl Mulino, at the World Economic Forum earlier this week.

During his tour, Rubio is expected to tackle two critical issues on the MAGA foreign policy agenda: illegal migration and the Panama Canal. The countries on Rubio’s travel list, including Guatemala and El Salvador, are key transit points for migrants heading to the U.S. southern border.

In a recent memo to State Department employees, Rubio underscored mass migration as “among the most consequential issues of our time” and committed to collaborating with Western Hemisphere nations to stem illegal immigration.

The State Department has not yet commented on Rubio’s impending travel.

Why It Matters: The controversy over the Panama Canal has been brewing for some time. In January, Trump refused to rule out the use of military force to regain control of the canal, citing economic security.

Trump’s comments sparked backlash from Panama’s President Mulino, who asserted Panama’s ownership of the canal in December.

Trump’s threat to seize the canal, which generates $2.5 billion in annual revenue for Panama and handles 5% of global maritime trade, has raised concerns about potential disruption to international commerce.

Image via Shutterstock

Check This Out:

• Lawmakers Made Huge Investments This Year. Get Tips On What They Bought And Sold Ahead Of The 2024 Election With Our Easy-to-Use Tool

This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Shivdeep Dhaliwal