US Ambassador to Panama Says CCP Is Malign Influence

He cites corrupting influences like alleged bribery of a Panama Canal official, CCP-backed cyberattacks on South American governments, and debt-trap diplomacy.

(L-R) Panama Minister of Public Security Frank Abrego, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and U.S. Ambassador to Panama Kevin Marino Cabrera deliver remarks after observing a repatriation flight bound for Colombia at the Albrook Gelabert Airport in Panama City, Panama, on June 24, 2025. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

U.S. Ambassador to Panama Kevin Marino Cabrera said in an interview published on Oct. 5 that the United States views the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as a “malign” influence in Panama and that those participating in the regime’s corruption won’t be granted visas to the United States.

Cabrera sat down with local publication Contrapeso Panama for an interview in Spanish and was direct about the United States’ concerns.