This is the Friends of History Debating Society. I'm John Batchelow, welcoming my good friend Michael

Jan. Where in the world is Michael Jan? Michael is in Panama. The Panama Canal is now at the center

of the news. The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, the newly confirmed Secretary of State,

is headed to Panama in addition to other Central

American states, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, and then to stop at the Dominican Republic.

These are all friendly to the U.S. sovereign states, but Panama is the big prize.

Why? Because China controls both ends of the canal through a

cutout called Hutchinson out of Hong Kong. This has been true for 25 years, but it's now my understanding

that the president has identified Panama to be secured. Michael, a very good evening to you.

You're in Panama.

Your opinion, you were in the canal last summer when the drought was gripping,

and you were there several times in least last year,

is chiefly to do with the migration.

There's a new government in place, Molino.

Is he ready to cooperate with the Trump administration and secure Panama? Good evening to you, Michael. Oh, good evening.

I'm actually looking at the Panama Canal as we speak. As you know, as soon as Biden was installed,

I left the inauguration, flew straight to El Paso, Texas, because I suspected the invasion

would increase, which it did, and then flew straight down to Columbia and went to the

Dary and gap on the Colombian side, which was very dangerous, and then flew up to Panama.

And since that time, I've spent, I don't know, six or eight months in

Panama, numerous months, say three months or so down and maybe four months down in the Dary

and Province and Dary and Gap, Panama. And then the rest of that time, mostly up here by the

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