As United States President Donald Trump was sworn in for his second term on Monday, he repeated his wishes to acquire the Panama Canal and rename the Gulf of Mexico in his inaugural speech. Trump has spoken about the canal and the Gulf of Mexico previously. On Monday, he signalled he was serious about moving ahead with both those ideas – and soon.

The Trump administration is framing the President’s vow to take back the Panama Canal as an economic investment, not “imperialistic expansion."

With Trump demanding action, Panama faces a difficult choice. Could a renegotiation of tolls or a review of Chinese port contracts ease US concerns? Will Freeman, Fellow for Latin American studies at the Council on Foreign Relations Andrew Thomas,