Everyone is watching Iran. That is exactly where Washington wants your attention. While the Strait of Hormuz dominates every headline, the United States has been executing a methodical campaign to secure every strategic chokepoint and energy asset in the Western Hemisphere. Panama, Venezuela, Ecuador. The moves are connected and the timing is not a coincidence.
Panama's Supreme Court ruled CK Hutchison's port concessions unconstitutional, ending Chinese operational control over both entrances to the Panama Canal. Maersk steps in as interim operator. Washington got what it wanted through the courts instead of a boardroom, and Beijing has no legal recourse.
The timing is the story. Hormuz closed in early March, making Panama the most critical alternative trade corridor on earth practically overnight. China just lost operational control of that corridor at the precise moment the world needed it most.
Venezuela's oil infrastructure is under American operational control, Ecuador's cartel networks are being dismantled by SOUTHCOM, and Panama's canal ports are being transferred to Western operators. None of this was reported as a single connected strategy because the moves happened weeks apart across three different countries. Tomorrow's full breakdown is on my Substack: https://breakingmetrics.substack.com
