The Panama Canal Denial
Sabotage and military intimidation shut the canal, forcing Washington to triage naval deployment, energy flows, and hemispheric commitments.
A coordinated sabotage attack cripples critical lock infrastructure in the Panama Canal just as heavily armed "private security" vessels begin intimidating repair crews and transiting ships. Insurance markets instantly treat the canal as a war zone.
You are the Commander of US Southern Command
The Situation Room
>Two carrier groups and multiple sealift schedules now face major delays in reaching their assigned theaters.
>Panama wants US help immediately but fears appearing to surrender sovereign control.
>Commodity traders are repricing hemispheric fuel and food routes by the minute as queues stretch into both oceans.
Internal Briefing Notes
• The canal is a strategic artery for both military movement and commercial shipping between the Atlantic and Pacific.
• Even minor lock damage can create delays measured in weeks once vessel queues and insurance withdrawals compound.
• An ambiguous armed presence around the canal creates a gray zone where pure engineering repair becomes a military question.
Escalation Window
Reveal each phase to see how the situation deteriorates.
The canal is becoming both a logistics emergency and a sovereignty crisis. What is your posture?
Choose your response. There are no good options.
You can reopen repairs under force protection, but risk looking like you are reoccupying a sovereign artery.
You preserve political legitimacy, but may lose the canal timeline while ambiguity hardens into control.
You avoid immediate escalation, but concede severe military and economic costs across two oceans.
Related Entities
Explore the institutions, countries, and actors involved in this scenario.
Scenario Lab Feedback