Panama defies Trump: Vows to keep canal under control
The President of Panama, Jose Raul Mulino, firmly rejects Donald Trump's threats regarding the takeover of the Panama Canal by the USA. "Every square yard of the Panama Canal and its adjacent zones belongs to Panama and will remain so," Mulino emphasized.
President Jose Raul Mulino responded decisively to the threats from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump concerning potential control over the Panama Canal. In his Sunday speech, Mulino stressed that every square yard of the canal belongs to Panama and will remain so.
Donald Trump suggested that the United States might take control of the Panama Canal if Panama does not adhere to the terms of the 1999 treaty, under which the U.S. relinquished control over this strategic route.
"If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States of America, in full, quickly and without question," Trump wrote on the Truth Social platform.
In a televised address, Jose Raul Mulino assured that the sovereignty and independence of Panama are non-negotiable. He stressed that the canal is not controlled by any power, including China, the European Union, or the United States. Mulino categorically rejected any suggestions that might distort this reality.
In response to Mulino's statement, Trump wrote on Truth Social: "We'll see about that!" followed by: "Welcome to the United States Canal!".
The Panama Canal, about 50 miles long, was completed by the United States in 1914. In 1977, the U.S. made an agreement with Panama, under which it transferred full sovereignty over the canal to Panama in 1999. Despite a drought that limited its capacity, the Panamanian agency managing the canal reported record revenues in the last fiscal year, amounting to $4.986 billion.
