Panama's President responds to Trump's plans to reclaim control of Panama Canal
Photo: José Raúl Mulino, President of Panama (x.com/JoseRaulMulino)
The Panama Canal will continue to belong to Panama, and no foreign nation can interfere with its management, stated Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino.
What Trump said
During his inaugural address, Donald Trump claimed that Panamanian authorities were failing to fulfill their responsibilities regarding the management of the Panama Canal.
"Above all China is operating the Panama Canal. We didn't give it to China, we gave it to Panama, and we're taking it back," Trump said.
He also criticized Panama for imposing high transit fees on American ships, including US Navy vessels.
Panama's President responds
The Panamanian President strongly condemned Trump's remarks.
"I reiterate what I stated in my national address on December 22: the canal belongs to and will continue to belong to Panama, and its management will remain under Panamanian control while maintaining its permanent neutrality. No nation in the world has the right to interfere in the management of the Canal," Mulino stated.
He emphasized that Panama has responsibly managed the canal since 1999, expanding it to serve global trade and the interests of the international community.
Mulino also affirmed that Panama would rely on international law to regulate its relations with other nations, including the US.
"Dialogue is always the best way to clarify these matters without compromising our rights, full sovereignty, and ownership of the canal," he concluded.
Trump's scandalous statements
Earlier, Donald Trump did not rule out that he could use economic and military methods to restore US control over the Panama Canal and Greenland.
Trump justified the need to reclaim the Panama Canal by pointing to the excessive fees imposed on the US.
Read more about what such statements by the US President may mean in the material by RBC-Ukraine.
