Illusionists employ various techniques that challenge our perceptions; they are experts at directing our attention where they want it, while performing tricks outside our focus.
For months, U.S. President Donald Trump's threat related to the “recovery” of the Panama Canal has been front page news around the world, an intimidation reminiscent of the horror of the 1989 U.S. military invasion, codenamed Operation Just Cause in military code.
Trump, in his speech to Congress on March 4, assured that his Administration “has already begun” to recover the Canal.
The mystery remained in the air: what was the President referring to? Is the era of the gunboats returning? Will they go from coercion to force?
Anything can happen, knowing the tradition of the governments of the northern country, but for now it is about keeping the Canal issue in the news all the time, like many others on the Trumpist agenda: tariff war, Greenland, Canada, peace in the Ukraine, etc.
Seneca compared the techniques of rhetoric and those of illusionism, and the tycoon president is skilled in both. As a skilled conjurer, he is accustomed to advancing supposed actions, laying his cards on the table and entertaining his audience with his oratory.
However, reality does not always have to do with what he announces and shows. From the shadows, he takes advantage of blind spots and acts.
For example, BlackRock announced a commercial agreement to acquire the Chinese firm CK Hutchison, based in Hong Kong, owner of the Balboa and Cristobal port terminals, adjacent to the Panama Canal.
The ports, located at both ends of the waterway, make up a strategic scenario for the U.S. in its pretensions to control the Canal.
Black Rock, along with Vanguard and State Street, are known as The Big Three in the world of finance after becoming the largest asset management funds in the world.
Their respective CEOs, Larry Fink, Salim Ramji and Ronald O'Hanley, are considered to be among the biggest shadow powers.
This mega-corporation accumulates enormous power in the political arena, has a very aggressive lobby that acts in the global economy and politics, creates relationships with government officials and provides services to government agencies.
From the shadows, interests are moved and money flows, nothing new under the sun. Let us remember the actions of the United Fruit Company or the International Telephone & Telegraph in our continent. Perhaps we will find the answers.
