April 29 (UPI) -- The United States and five countries in Latin America and the Caribbean backed Panama in a joint statement, warning that economic pressure from China against Panama-flagged vessels could affect regional maritime trade.
The statement, also signed by Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay, and Trinidad and Tobago, follows a ruling by Panama's Supreme Court declaring unconstitutional a key contract linked to port terminals in Balboa and Cristóbal.
The United States and the other signatories said they observed actions by China, taken after the court ruling, that affected Panama‑flagged ships. They did not specify what China did, but said any such measures amount to economic pressure that disrupts maritime operations and could spill over into regional trade.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in backing that position said that "the sovereignty of our hemisphere is non-negotiable."
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