Part 7/12:
On a different front, the Panama port saga has taken a dramatic turn as a recent audit exposed significant contractual breaches by Hong Kong-based CK Hutchinson, the operator of critical ports near the Panama Canal. The audit indicates Panama lost at least $1.22 billion in revenue due to these irregularities. In light of this, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Higseith's visit to Panama came at a crucial moment where he pledged to diminish China's influence in the region.