President Trump spoke loudly and swung a big stick in Panama’s direction, and it produced instantaneous results when Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited the small Central American nation.

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,

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

On this episode Jonny Dymond speaks to Julie Greene, a professor of American studies at the University of Maryland, about the storied history of the Panama Canal. And the BBC’s North America business correspondent Michelle Fleury discusses the politics and economics behind the Trump administration's diplomatic pursuit of the trade route.