Newly inaugurated U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing to "take back" the Panama Canal, the world's second busiest interoceanic waterway.

Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino has ruled out negotiations with the US over ownership of the Panama Canal as he prepares to Marco Rubio.

More than 100 years after the construction of the engineering marvel that linked the Atlantic and Pacific oceans — and 25 years after the canal was returned to Panama by the US — the Panama Canal faces renewed intimidation from US President Donald Trump.

Stephanie: In response to Trump’s inauguration speech, Panama President José Raúl Mulino said that “ the canal is and will remain Panama’s .” As you noted, Trump has already floated the idea of using military force to retake the canal. Do you think this could actually come to pass?

In recent weeks, when he was President-elect Donald Trump publicly said that Panama should return the Panama Canal to the United States, and he would not rule out using military force to reclaim it. At his presidential Inauguration on Monday Trump doubled down on saying that his new administration was going to take back the canal.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s insistence that he wants to have the Panama Canal back under U.S. control is feeding nationalist sentiment and worry in Panama, home to the critical trade route and a country familiar with U.

PANAMA CITY (Reuters) -Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino on Thursday ruled out discussing control over the Panama Canal in a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is set to visit the Central American country in his first official trip abroad this weekend.

Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino on Thursday ruled out negotiations with the United States over ownership of the Panama Canal as he prepares to host Donald Trump's Secretary of State

I cannot negotiate, let alone open a process of negotiation regarding the canal, - said Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino on Thursday, shortly before the visit of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.