The president of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, rejected this Sunday the threat of the elected US president, Donald Trump, that Washington could try to “regain” control of the Panama Canal.
“I want to express precisely that every square meter of the Panama Canal and its adjacent area belongs to Panama, and will continue to be so,” Mulino said in a statement shared on social networks.
“Sovereignty and independence are not negotiable,” he continued.
Trump caused controversy after suggesting that his government could try to regain US control of the interoceanic waterway that, according to him, Washington “foolishly” ceded to its Central American ally.
During his speech at a convention in Phoenix, Arizona, the Republican politician accused Panama of charging “exorbitant prices” to American ships and vessels that use the canal.
“The rates that Panama charges are ridiculous, highly unfair,” he said, addressing a crowd of followers who had gathered at the AmericaFest 2024an annual meeting organized by Turning Point USA, a group that promotes conservative ideas among students and which supported his election campaign.
“This complete scam on our country will stop immediately,” Trump added, suggesting he would push for the measure when he takes office on January 20.
“We will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us”
The comments from the US president-elect provoked a quick response from his Panamanian counterpart, who strongly rejected them.
“Every Panamanian here or anywhere in the world carries it in their heart, and it is part of our history of struggle and an irreversible conquest,” he noted.
“We Panamanians may think differently in many aspects, but when it comes to our Canal and our sovereignty, we all unite under a single flag, that of Panama.”
Although Trump did not explain how he would pressure Panama to give up part of its territory, analysts see his comments as a sign that the foreign policy and diplomacy of the world’s largest economy could change once he takes office next month.
Trump warned that if shipping rates are not reduced, his government would demand that Panama “return” the Panama Canal to them “in its entirety, quickly and without questions.”
On Saturday, the Republican politician had stated that the road was a “vital national asset” for the United States.
The Panama Canal, 82 kilometers long, crosses the Central American nation and is the main link between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
It was built at the beginning of the 20th century and was controlled by the United States until 1977, when different treaties gradually ceded the territory to Panama.
After a period of joint administration, Panama assumed exclusive control of the canal in 1999.
Up to 14,000 ships pass through it each year, including military ships and container ships carrying cars, natural gas and other goods.
In addition to Panama, Trump has also accused Canada and Mexico of trade practices that he considers unfair.
He also blamed them for allowing drugs and immigrants to enter the United States, something they have dismissed.
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