By Simon Lewis and Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) -When Marco Rubio arrives in Latin America this weekend on his first foreign trip as Donald Trump's secretary of state, he'll find a region reeling from the new administration's shock-and-awe approach to diplomacy.

A simmering diplomatic stand-off over deportation flights spilled onto social media Sunday, threatening the once close relationship between the US and Colombia and further exposing the anxiety many feel in Latin America towards a second Trump presidency.

The resumption of the Armenia-Panama route will depend not only on the airline's operational recovery but also on El Edén airport's ability to provide conditions that ensure the long-term viability of this connection.

More than 100 years after the construction of the engineering marvel that linked the Atlantic and Pacific oceans — and 25 years after the canal was returned to Panama by the US — the Panama Canal faces renewed intimidation from US President Donald Trump.

Less than a week into his presidency, Donald Trump has briefly engaged in his first international tariff dispute. And the target wasn't China, Mexico or Canada - frequent subjects of his ire - it was Colombia, one of America's closest allies in South America.

President Trump is flexing his muscle just a week into his presidency, using tariffs and sanctions as a leverage tool to enact his agenda, even when it involves U.S. allies. Trump caused a stir

He added: “We don’t have an army.” In 1903, Panama was a restive department of Colombia, with many Panamanians advocating openly for independence from a central government on the other side ...

Trump is right to lament the lives lost for the creation of the canal. They were mostly Black Caribbean migrant workers, living and dying under Jim Crow conditions that the U.S. imposed in Panama.

President Donald Trump and Colombian President Gustavo Petro defended their views on social media and imposed tariffs on each other’s goods.

Nonetheless, Trump’s bet is to not have to pursue military conquest in the Athenian way. He would rather have a complacent Panama, accepting all U.S. demands. As shown by the recent Colombia-U.S. clash over deportations, Trump’s approach seems to be “cooperate or else.”

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a hearing Tuesday to discuss the issue of foreign influence in the Panama Canal.