Fault Lines Episode 553: Backyard Reset: Panama, Colombia, and Washington’s Regional Reboot

Today, Morgan, Jamil, Les, and Andy survey a busy week in the Western Hemisphere, as the Trump administration sharpens its focus closer to home. President Gustavo Petro’s visit to the White House signaled a thaw in U.S.–Colombia relations, with renewed counternarcotics cooperation and discussions around exporting Venezuelan natural gas to Colombia. Meanwhile, Panama’s Supreme Court annulled a contract allowing a Hong Kong–based company to operate ports at the Panama Canal, prompting sharp warnings from Beijing and aligning closely with Washington’s push to limit China’s influence in the region.Are these signs that the U.S. is finally reasserting itself in the Western Hemisphere? Is the message landing with China and Russia as Washington draws firmer lines around the Panama Canal, Venezuela, and regional security? And after years of U.S. neglect that allowed Beijing to become a top trading partner for many Latin American countries, can renewed attention actually push adversaries out and deliver lasting influence?Check out these sources that shaped our Fellows’ discussion: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/china-calls-panama-court-ruling-ck-hutchison-port-contracts-shameful-pathetic-2026-02-03/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-meet-colombian-president-gustavo-petro-venezuela-nicolas-maduro-rcna257101 @morganlroach@jamil_n_jaffer@lestermunson@andykeiserLike what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube, and watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/m8I6GmEM9pI Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.