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About stuartbramhall

Retired child and adolescent psychiatrist and American expatriate in New Zealand. In 2002, I made the difficult decision to close my 25-year Seattle practice after 15 years of covert FBI harassment. I describe the unrelenting phone harassment, illegal break-ins and six attempts on my life in my 2010 book The Most Revolutionary Act: Memoir of an American Refugee.

Hospital Records Show Texas Measles Victim Died from Medical Error

Hospital Records in Texas Measles Death Released to CHD

Children’s Health Defense

BREAKING: We, at Children’s Health Defense, have obtained access to the medical records of the girl in Texas with measles who died. After analyzing the documents, Pierre Kory, M.D. has come to the conclusion that this child, unequivocally, “did not die of measles.” His expert assessment on this death is that it resulted from a “grievous” medical error, not purely a breathing condition or viral illness like the media would like us to believe.

In this exclusive interview, Dr. Kory outlines the facts about this case. He explains how the hospital failed to treat with the proper antibiotics at the proper time and allowed for her to die “catastrophically” in a state of shock.

We also hear from Ben Edwards, M.D. — the doctor who has been treating this family and the other Mennonite families in the area. Dr. Edwards shares how the community has been responding to this outbreak and their perspective on the untimely loss, a “tragic mistake.”

[…]

Via https://live.childrenshealthdefense.org/chd-tv/shows/good-morning-chd/breaking-news-doctors-review-texas-measles-medical-records/

US, Israel in Secret Talks with African Nations to Take in Forcibly Expelled Palestinians

(Photo credit: Reuters

The Cradle

The US and Israel have been making contacts with African states to discuss the potential resettlement of Palestinians from Gaza to their territories, according to an AP report released on 14 March.

The US–Israeli contacts with Sudan, Somalia, and Somaliland aim “to discuss using their territories as potential destinations for resettling Palestinians,” US and Israeli officials told AP.

“Separate outreach from the US and Israel to the three potential destinations began last month, days after [US President Donald] Trump floated the Gaza plan alongside [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu,” US officials said, adding that Israel is “taking the lead in the discussions.”

It is “unclear how much progress the efforts made or at what level the discussions took place,” according to the report. The talks are supposed to be “secret.”

Sudanese officials told AP that they have rejected US proposals for such a plan. Officials from Somalia and Somaliland said they were not aware of the discussions. Sudan was part of the 2020 Abraham Accords, which saw several Arab states, including the UAE, normalize ties with Israel.

Last month, Trump announced his controversial plan to transform Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East.” The president said his plan would involve the US taking ownership of Gaza and expelling the entirety of its population to bring in international development teams and begin work on reconstruction.

He claimed the expulsion of Palestinians would be to move them to a safer location, but later confirmed that his plan does not include their right to return to their land.

In late February, Trump backpedaled from his position, saying he does not wish to impose the plan by force but will recommend it. “We are not expelling anyone from the Gaza Strip,” he told reporters ahead of his meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin on 12 March.

Despite this, a US official said in early February that Trump “stands by his vision,” rejecting a proposal put forward by Egypt for a reconstruction and post-war solution plan for Gaza that does not involve any further displacement of its population.

Arab states have rejected Trump’s plan and have officially endorsed the Egyptian initiative. Israel, on the other hand, has praised what many see as an attempt to ethnically cleanse Gaza.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on 9 March that the government would establish a “migration administration” to facilitate the expulsion of Palestinians from their homes and lands in the Gaza Strip.

“We are establishing a migration administration, we are preparing for this under the leadership of the Prime Minister and Defense Minister [Israel Katz],” Smotrich said at the Knesset. “The budget will not be an obstacle,” he added. The new “migration administration” would be under the Israeli Ministry of Defense, with the goal of expelling all Palestinians as quickly as logistics allow.

“If we remove 5,000 a day, it will take a year,” Smotrich said. “This is a huge logistical operation – not just the bus that takes them, we need to know who is going, to which country, what ages, vocational training, a huge operation, we are preparing.”

Smotrich claimed that “sources in the American government” agreed “that it’s impossible for two million people with hatred towards Israel to remain at a stone’s throw from the border.”

The AP report was not the first to reveal potential plans to expel Palestinians to Africa.

According to a report from Israel’s Channel 12 last month, Morocco, the Puntland State of Somalia, and the Republic of Somaliland are being considered as places to relocate Palestinians as part of Trump’s controversial plan.

Puntland and Somaliland seek international recognition of their sovereignty over Somali territory, while Morocco seeks recognition of its sovereignty over the occupied Western Sahara.

The report said Trump’s government may use this to push forward his proposal for Gaza.

[…]

Via https://thecradle.co/articles/us-israel-in-secret-talks-with-african-states-to-take-in-forcibly-expelled-palestinians-report?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

President Trump: Stop Bombing Yemen and Exit the Middle East!

By Ron Paul

Over the weekend President Trump ordered a massive military operation against the small country of Yemen. Was Yemen in the process of attacking the United States? No. Did the President in that case go to Congress and seek a declaration of war against the country? No. The fact is, Yemen hadn’t even threatened the United States before the bombs started falling.

Last year, candidate Trump strongly criticized the Biden Administration’s obsession with foreign interventionism to the detriment of our problems at home. In an interview at the Libertarian National Convention, he criticized Biden’s warmongering to podcaster Tim Pool, saying, “You can solve problems over a telephone. Instead they start dropping bombs. Recently, they’re dropping bombs all over Yemen. You don’t have to do that.”

Yet once in office, Trump turned to military force as his first option. Since the Israel/Hamas ceasefire plan negotiated by President Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, Yemen has left Red Sea shipping alone. However, after Israel implemented a total blockade of humanitarian relief to citizens of Gaza last week, Houthi leaders threatened to again begin blocking Israel’s Red Sea shipping activities.

That was enough for President Trump to drop bombs and launch missiles for hours, killing several dozen Yemeni civilians – including women and children – in the process.

After the attack, Trump not only threatened much more force to be used against Yemen, but he also threatened Iran. His National Security Advisor Mike Waltz added that the US may start bombing Iranian ships in the area, a move that would certainly lead to a major Middle East war.

Like recent Presidents Bush and Obama, candidate Trump promised peace after four years of Joe Biden’s warmongering and World War III brinkmanship. There is little doubt that with our war-weary population this proved the margin of his victory. Unfortunately, as with Bush and Obama, now that he is President, he appears to be heading down a different path.

The Republican Party is gradually becoming a pro-peace, America first party, but the warmongers and neocons of the old line in the Party are not going to let go so easily. Unfortunately many of these dead-enders have found their way to senior positions in Trump’s Administration, with voices of restraint and non-intervention nearly nowhere in sight among his top tier of advisors.

To solve the Yemen problem we must understand it: Russian and Chinese ships, for example, are not being threatened because they are not enabling the Israeli demolition of Gaza. The slaughter there has been facilitated with US money and US weapons. It is the US doing Israel’s bidding both in Gaza and in the Red Sea that is painting a target on us and unnecessarily putting our troops at risk of retaliation.

The US government, starting with Biden and continuing now with Trump, seems eager to make this our war even though, as Rep. Thomas Massie pointed out over the weekend, Red Sea shipping is of minor importance to the US economy.

In a real “America first” foreign policy we would be following the Russian and Chinese lead and staying out of the conflict. It’s not our war. End US military involvement in the Middle East and our troubles disappear. It really is that simple.

[…]

Via https://ronpaulinstitute.org/president-trump-stop-bombing-yemen-and-exit-the-middle-east/

Study of 99 Million Confirms Covid ‘Vaccines’ Caused Global Death Surge

 

By Frank Bergman

A major peer-reviewed study of almost 100 million people has confirmed that Covid mRNA “vaccines” have caused a global surge in death and deadly disease.

The study documents the outcomes of 99 million people after they received Covid mRNA injections.

During the study, the researchers examined the official government data from eight countries.

Participants in the study included 99,068,901 Covid-vaccinated individuals.

The study has concluded that the injections are responsible for the global surge in sudden deaths and life-threatening illnesses.

The researchers found that staggering numbers of vaccinated people suffered serious complications such as heart failure, blood clots, strokes, brain disorders, and severely weakened immune systems.

Many of those tracked by the peer-reviewed study also died suddenly and unexpectedly.

The research was conducted by the Global Vaccine Data Network in New Zealand.

The study’s paper was published in the prestigious, world-renowned Vaccine journal.

Over the past three years, the study has documented the outcomes for 99 million people who were given Covid shots.

As Slay News has previously reported, multiple studies from around the world have now linked the injections to various complications.

The most common serious medical side effects have been blood clots and myocarditis, both of which can be fatal.

Myocarditis is the inflammation of the heart muscle (myocardium), according to the Mayo Clinic.

The inflammation reduces the heart’s ability to pump blood.

The condition weakens the heart so that the rest of the body doesn’t get enough blood.

Clots can form in the heart, leading to a stroke or sudden cardiac arrest.

Now, after studying almost 100 million vaccinated people, the new study has confirmed that “the shots from pharma giants, including Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca have been associated with rare occurrences of heart, brain, and blood disorders.”

Participants from eight different countries were monitored for upticks in 13 medical conditions.

The study revealed that besides a slight increase in neurological issues, the vaccines were also associated with dangerous blood and heart-related medical conditions.

The researchers discovered soaring numbers of people suffering from myocarditis after doses of Pfizer-BioNTech’s and Moderna’s mRNA shots.

However, medical experts have repeatedly warned that those suffering from myocarditis are rarely aware that they have it until it’s too late, creating a ticking time bomb situation among the members of the public.

The study showed those getting AstraZeneca’s viral-vector shot had a 6.9-fold increased chance of pericarditis, an inflammation of the cardiac muscle.

The lead author of the study’s paper is Kristýna Faksová of the Department of Epidemiology Research at the Statens Serum Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Speaking about the results of the study, Faksová said:

“The size of the population in this study increased the possibility of identifying rare potential vaccine safety signals.

“Single sites or regions are unlikely to have a large enough population to detect very rare signals.”

Faksová’s study uncovered evidence of “an elevated risk” of developing a specific blood clot type in the brain.

This increased risk was linked to Covid shots like the one produced by the University of Oxford and distributed by AstraZeneca.

Further, recipients of AstraZeneca’s contribution to the shot pool were 2.5 times more likely to get Guillain-Barre syndrome.

Guillain-Barre syndrome is a neurological disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks nerves.

According to the study, the development of Guillain-Barre syndrome also creates a risk of transverse myelitis, an inflammation of the spinal cord, and other complications with the brain and spinal column.

Evidence of myocarditis, which is inflammation of the heart muscle, was particularly recurrent among individuals after their first, second, or booster dose of an mRNA vaccine.

Modest spikes in incidence were noted, especially following the administration of the second dose of the Moderna shot, which was also tied to a raised occurrence of pericarditis after initial and booster vaccinations.

The researchers also warn of the incidence of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, a once-exceptionally rare type of cerebral clot.

This has already prompted many countries to discontinue using AstraZeneca‘s shots.

Meanwhile, a group of leading scientists in Germany has raised the alarm after discovering evidence buried in the German government’s official data that confirms excess deaths were caused by mRNA “vaccines” and not Covid.

The bombshell study provides yet further confirmation that excess mortality rates did not rise during the first waves of the pandemic, despite official claims of surging “Covid deaths.”

Excess mortality rates did skyrocket, however, but only after the Covid mRNA “vaccines” were rolled out for the public.

Interestingly, the study found that the most significant excess mortality event during the pandemic period was not caused by Covid at all but by a late 2022 influenza wave.

Excess deaths spiked due to people dying from the flu after they received Covid mRNA “vaccines.”

[…]

Via https://slaynews.com/news/study-99-million-confirms-covid-vaccines-caused-global-death-surge/

Hamas says Israel assassinated 5 senior officials along with families in Gaza

Senior Hamas officials killed in Israel’s airstrikes on Gaza on March 18, 2025.

Press TV

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas says several of its senior members have been assassinated after being directly targeted by Israel’s military forces on Tuesday.

Gaza’s fragile ceasefire was shattered early Tuesday as the Israeli military launched deadly airstrikes across the Palestinian territory, killing more than 400 Palestinians, including children.

The resistance group said in a statement that “a number of government and emergency committee leaders were martyred in the Gaza Strip as a result of the brutal and sudden aggression on the Gaza Strip at dawn today.”

“These leaders, along with their families, were martyred after being directly targeted by the Zionist occupation forces’ aircraft.”

The head of the Hamas government, Essam al-Dali, interior ministry head Mahmud Abu Watfa and Bahjat Abu Sultan, director-general of the internal security service, are among the martyrs, Hamas said.

These leaders, according to Hamas, were responsible for “distributing aid, preventing “thieves” and “bandits” (in reality, collaborators with the Zionist regime), protecting the security of the Palestinian people, and ensuring fairness and social cohesion amid the most difficult of circumstances.”

“They are being assassinated in an attempt to create chaos, famine and internal conflict.”

In a separate statement, Gaza Government Media Office said two top police officers were among those assassinated.

These leaders, it said, “worked tirelessly since the beginning of this genocidal war to alleviate the suffering of their people and who fulfilled their responsibilities with dedication and sacrifice.”

Hamas also reiterated that the resistance will stand “firm with our nation against this brutal aggression.”

[…]

Via https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/03/18/744657/Israel-assassinates-Hamas-leaders-Essam-al-Dali-Mahmud-Abu-Watfa


New Documentary: Did Russia, China and the US Collaborate on Creation of Covid19 Virus?

An Unholy Triad: The Birth of a Plague Episode 1

Pure Media Australia (2025)

Film Review

A preview of a chilling Australian documentary examining evidence that Russia, China and the US secretly collaborated in creating the Covid 19 virus. This episode describes patent research into six key genes (three patented by DARPA and three by China) found in the Covid 19 spike protein. The fact that all six, along with unspecified clotting factors the Russians developed, suggests some level of collaboration between the three countries.

Russia has been engaged in bioweapons research since the 1920s, focusing mainly on genetic manipulations interfering with clotting. Like the US they continued illegal bioweapons research despite the 1972 Bioweapons Convention.

US DARPA scientists have patented three genes found in the spike protein – ORF3A, ORF6 and ORF8. ORF3A, patented in the late nineties, inhibits autophagy (the process of degradation and removal of dysfunctional cellular components) and in this way increases viral persistence. ORF6 suppresses interferon (the body’s natural defense again viruses) production. ORF8 suppresses immune modulation and apoptosis (programmed cell death to eliminate dysfunctional cells. The last two genes were patented 1998 and 2004.

The Chinese have been engaged in bioweapons research since 1990 at the Wuhan Lab and other military labs. They have patented three genes found in the spike protein: ORF11, ORF19 and ORF28. ORF11 enhances viral entry into the human cell, ORF19 enhances viral replication and ORF28 increases inflammation.

The filmmakers speculate it was mainly Russian defectors who shared information about Russian clotting factors with DARPA and point to the open collaboration between  Chinese military scientists at Wuhan and their NIH-funded counterparts who also worked there.

Documentary continues at https://puremediaaustralia.org/

 

Trump Voids Fauci’s Pardon

Sean Adl-Tabatabai

The long-awaited political payback has officially kicked off. In a bold move, Trump has nullified the controversial pardon granted to Dr. Anthony Fauci by Joe Biden, proclaiming it “void, vacant, and of no further force or effect,” signaling that justice for his adversaries is on the horizon.

On Truth Social, Trump announced:

“The “Pardons” that Sleepy Joe Biden gave to the Unselect Committee of Political Thugs, and many others, are hereby declared VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT, because of the fact that they were done by Autopen.

In other words, Joe Biden did not sign them but, more importantly, he did not know anything about them! The necessary Pardoning Documents were not explained to, or approved by, Biden.

He knew nothing about them, and the people that did may have committed a crime. Therefore, those on the Unselect Committee, who destroyed and deleted ALL evidence obtained during their two year Witch Hunt of me, and many other innocent people, should fully understand that they are subject to investigation at the highest level.

The fact is, they were probably responsible for the Documents that were signed on their behalf without the knowledge or consent of the Worst President in the History of our Country, Crooked Joe Biden!”

Thegatewaypundit.com reports: It can be recalled during Trump’s recent visit to the Department of Justice, President Trump questioned the validity of official documents signed by Biden using an autopen, which could potentially be invalid.

“Crooked Joe Biden got us into a real mess with Russia and everything else he did, frankly. But he didn’t know about it, and he, generally speaking, signed it with autopen, so how would he know? That autopen is a big deal. I don’t know, you know? Who’s doing this?” Trump said.

“When my people come up, Will [Scharf] and all of the people, Steve [Miller], they come up… Sir, this is an executive order, they explain it to me, and 90% of the time, I sign it. 99% of the time, I say, do it. But, they come up, and I sign it,” Trump said.

“But, you don’t use autopen. Number one, it’s disrespectful to the office. Number two, maybe it’s not even valid because, you know, who’s getting him to sign? He had no idea what the hell he was doing. If he did, all of these bad things wouldn’t be happening,” Trump said.

This statement comes after a recent bombshell finding from The Oversight Project revealed a troubling trend: nearly every major document bearing Biden’s signature was signed using an autopen.

The only exception? His official announcement was that he was dropping out of the 2024 race.

As The Gateway Pundit previously reported, on Monday, the Oversight Project revealed six criminals were pardoned by Biden’s autopen on December 30, 2022, while Joe Biden was vacationing and golfing in St. Croix. The autopen pardons were all signed “at the City of Washington” while Joe Biden was in the US Virgin Islands.

On Tuesday, The Oversight Project released a new analysis of Biden’s pardons for family members, Dr. Tony Fauci, General Milley, J6 Committee members, and Gerald Lundergan on January 19, 2025.

Just one day before Trump was set to be sworn in as the 47th US President, Joe Biden issued a flurry of pardons to his family members, Fauci and others. The Oversight Project determined that all of the pardons issued on January 19 had the same exact Biden autopen signature.

As if one fraudulent signature weren’t enough, The Oversight Project identified on Saturday two distinct autopen signatures that Biden’s administration has been using.

Analysis of 51 clemency warrants issued by Biden shows:

  • 16 were signed with Autopen A
  • 16 were signed with Autopen B
  • Only 19 appear to be actual, wet-ink signatures

The differences between Autopen A and Autopen B are subtle but clear upon close examination. For instance, Autopen A leaves a wider space between the “p” and “h” in “Joseph” than Autopen B. Additionally, the way the letter “B” in “Biden” is written and how the suffix “Jr.” appears varies between the two versions.

The New York Post has since corroborated this report, uncovering that Biden’s top aides had complete control over his signature and may have illegally authorized documents without Biden’s knowledge or approval.

One insider described Biden’s White House as a puppet show, revealing:

“I feared no one as much as I feared that [staffer]. To me, [the staffer] basically was the president. No one ever questioned [them]. Period.”

“Everyone” suspected this aide exceeded their authority but no one would dare say anything about it the insider told The Post.

The insider told The Post’s Steve Nelson: “There is no clarity on who actually approved what — POTUS or [the aide].”

Missouri Attorney General Bailey demanded documents to know if Biden was competent enough to make decisions during his administration.

Former First Lady Jill Biden also admitted they purposefully covered-up Biden’s mental decline and gaslit the public about it.

The Biden White House’s liar-in-chief, Karine Jean-Pierre, regularly scolded reporters who suggested there was anything wrong. Even after Biden’s disastrous debate performance, Jean-Pierre said Biden was “as sharp as ever.”

[…]

Via https://thepeoplesvoice.tv/trump-voids-faucis-pardon-justice-is-coming-soon/

Trump Declares Biden’s ‘Autopen’ Pardons “VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT”

By Jim Hoft

The political reckoning has begun.

President Donald Trump has delivered a devastating blow to the left’s anti-Trump crusade, declaring the shady “pardons” issued by Sleepy Joe Biden to be “VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT.”

In a late-night announcement on Truth Social, Trump announced:

“The “Pardons” that Sleepy Joe Biden gave to the Unselect Committee of Political Thugs, and many others, are hereby declared VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT, because of the fact that they were done by Autopen.

In other words, Joe Biden did not sign them but, more importantly, he did not know anything about them! The necessary Pardoning Documents were not explained to, or approved by, Biden.

He knew nothing about them, and the people that did may have committed a crime. Therefore, those on the Unselect Committee, who destroyed and deleted ALL evidence obtained during their two year Witch Hunt of me, and many other innocent people, should fully understand that they are subject to investigation at the highest level.

The fact is, they were probably responsible for the Documents that were signed on their behalf without the knowledge or consent of the Worst President in the History of our Country, Crooked Joe Biden!”

[…]

Via https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/03/here-we-go-trump-declares-bidens-autopen-pardons/

Trump Starts New War in Middle East by Bombing Yemen Women and Children

Young girl in Yemen hospital after bombing by U.S.

by Brian Shilhavy
Editor, Health Impact News

Last night President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. military to start bombing Yemen.

Just hours before this happened, he wrote this on his Truth Social platform:

It is doubtful that any Yemen leaders would have even seen this warning and threat by Trump, let alone had a chance to respond to it, before Trump ordered the bombing.

Notice that in Trump’s announcement, he does not claim that the Houthis have killed any Americans, or actually threatened anyone in the United States. Only that they have attacked ships in the Red Sea, and hurt the economy of the U.S.

At the time of my writing this, it is being reported that the bombs launched into Yemen have killed more than 30 people, mostly women and children, and hundreds of others are wounded.

The Yemen media has released a video of some of the victims being treated, along with mangled bodies of dead children.

I have included this footage along with a short news report in the following video.

WARNING! THIS IS VERY GRAPHIC!

But I encourage you to watch anyway, because THIS IS THE FACE OF ZIONISM. It is only 4 minutes long.

Trump’s Zionist cabinet members did the circuit in the corporate media last night and this morning, stating that the U.S. took out “several Houthi leaders”, but so far no names of these “leaders” have been released to the press by either the U.S. or officials in Yemen.

Yemen, which has been bombed by the U.S. for over a decade now, including during Trump’s first term where Trump killed U.S. citizens in Yemen, including an 8-year-old girl, via drone attacks, is unlikely to be intimidated by these attacks at all.

They are promising a strong response, and as I write this there are reports that they have already bombed one of the U.S.’s aircraft carriers in the Red Sea.

This was the response last year by the people in Yemen, after they were bombed by the U.S and the U.K., where over 1 million took to the streets in defiance:

[…]

Via https://vaccineimpact.com/2025/trump-starts-new-war-in-middle-east-by-bombing-yemen-women-and-children/

BlackRock Takes Control of Panama Ports to Counter Increasing Chinese Influence

BlackRock has agreed to purchase majority stakes in ports on both sides of the Panama Canal.

By  Ariel Zilber

A consortium of firms led by BlackRock is buying two key ports in the Panama Canal from a Hong Kong-based firm as part of a $23 billion deal after President Donald Trump expressed concern that the strategic waterway was falling under Chinese influence.

BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager with a portfolio of investments valued at $11.5 trillion, has agreed to purchase majority stakes in ports on both sides of the Panama Canal from Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison in a multipart transaction worth $22.8 billion, the companies announced on Tuesday.

Beyond the Panama Canal ports, the deal with CK Hutchison includes 43 additional ports across 23 countries.

The deal would shift control of the strategic ports of Balboa and Cristobal into American corporate hands, a move that aligns with the Trump administration’s concerns over foreign influence near the canal. 

While Panama retains full sovereignty over the canal itself, the presence of Chinese-controlled ports has been flagged as a potential security risk by US officials.

Earlier this month, Panama decided not to renew its participation in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), becoming the first Latin American country to exit the program.

President José Raúl Mulino announced the decision after discussions with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who raised concerns about China’s expanding influence in the Panama Canal region.

BlackRock — headed by billionaire CEO Larry Fink — has briefed both the Trump administration and Congress about the acquisition, according to a person familiar with the discussions.

The sale is expected to ease fears about China’s role in Panama’s infrastructure, as Beijing has expanded its presence in the region through state-backed firms.

CK Hutchison told the Wall Street Journal that the transaction was “purely commercial in nature” and unrelated to recent political discussions regarding the Panama Canal.

Trump has voiced strong concerns over the Panama Canal, claiming that China holds too much influence over its operations.

In his inaugural address on Jan. 20, he declared, “China is operating the Panama Canal. And we didn’t give it to China; we gave it to Panama, and we’re taking it back.”

Before taking office, then-President-elect Trump alleged that Panama was charging “exorbitant” fees to American ships, suggesting this violated the Torrijos–Carter Treaties, which transferred the canal from US control to Panama in 1999.

He further stated that the canal was “falling into the wrong hands,” implying Chinese influence over its operations.

Trump has also indicated that military intervention remains a possibility to counter what he sees as China’s growing control of the canal, emphasizing its strategic importance to US economic security.

His statements have sparked strong reactions from Panamanian officials, who insist the Panama Canal remains under their sovereign control and operates independently.

They have repeatedly denied any foreign control, particularly by China.

Concerns about China’s influence over the canal have been debated in Washington for years.

Some policymakers argue that Chinese port operators could monitor US ship movements or use the facilities for potential military operations.

However, Panamanian authorities and former US military officials have denied these claims, emphasizing that the ports pose no security threat and that the canal remains neutral.

The deal represents BlackRock’s largest-ever infrastructure acquisition and highlights the firm’s growing push into private infrastructure investments.

The purchase is being carried out in partnership with BlackRock’s infrastructure arm Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) and Geneva-based Terminal Investment Limited.

BlackRock’s Fink has aggressively expanded the firm’s infrastructure investment strategy, particularly after acquiring GIP in 2023.

GIP manages a vast portfolio of energy, transportation, and utilities assets, including London Gatwick Airport, US natural gas pipelines and data centers.

If finalized, the BlackRock-led acquisition could mark a significant geopolitical shift, reinforcing American influence in one of the world’s most critical trade routes.

[…]

https://nypost.com/2025/03/04/business/blackrock-to-take-control-of-ports-in-panama-canal-for-23b/