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The canal ‘belongs to Panama and will remain so’, says President Mulino after Trump’s threat
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino said on Sunday that the interoceanic canal “is Panamanian and will continue to be so,” in response to the threat by the president-elect of the United States, Republican Donald Trump , that he will demand its return if the rates he charges for its transit are not reduced.
“My fellow countrymen, as president I want to express in a clear way that every square meter of the Panama Canal and its adjacent areas belongs to Panama and will continue to do so. The sovereignty and independence of our country are not negotiable,” Mulino said in a video released by the government.
The route that links the Atlantic and Pacific and through which nearly 3% of world trade passes is part of Panama ‘s “history of struggle and irreversible conquest ,” said the president.
The Panama Canal was built by the United States, which opened it in 1914 and administered it until its transfer to the Panamanian State on December 31, 1999, as established in the Torrijos-Carter Treaties signed on September 7, 1977 in Washington by the then presidents, the Panamanian Omar Torrijos (1929-1981) and the American Jimmy Carter (1977-1981).
Trump, who will take office on January 20, complained on Saturday and Sunday about the “exorbitant” tariffs and the management of the Panama Canal, and threatened to demand its “return” if “moral and legal” principles are not respected.
He also criticized former President Carter, who “foolishly gave it away for a dollar during his term,” and again claimed that China has a say in the management of the waterway, of which the United States is the main user.
Neither are the tariffs a whim, nor do the powers interfere
Mulino, who assumed the Presidency on July 1 for the five-year period 2024-2029, stressed that “since it has been in Panamanian hands, the canal has grown, it is managed by qualified professionals, who with clear rules are in charge of its operation, conservation and maintenance, ensuring its safe, continuous, efficient and profitable operation.”
“The rates are not a whim, they are established publicly and in an open hearing, taking into account market conditions, international competition, operating costs and the maintenance and modernization needs of the interoceanic route,” he said.
The Panama Canal, which faced a severe drought that forced it to restrict the passage of ships for months, this week delivered to the treasury a contribution of 2.470,7 million dollars corresponding to the fiscal year 2024.
Mulino also stated that “the canal is not under direct or indirect control by China, the European Community, the United States or any other power.”
“As a Panamanian, I strongly reject any manifestation that distorts this reality and the canal will continue to be in Panamanian hands as an inalienable heritage of our nation and guarantee its use for the peaceful and uninterrupted transit of ships from all nations, as established by the Constitution and the Neutrality Treaty,” he added.
Panama aspires to a respectful relationship with the US
Mulino said that “Panama respects other nations and demands respect,” and that with the new United States government, he hopes “to preserve and maintain a respectful relationship.”
The United States is Panama’s main trading partner and political ally.
Security issues such as illegal migration, drug trafficking, terrorism and organized crime “must be a priority on our bilateral agenda, since they are a real threat that should concern us greatly,” said the Panamanian head of state.
Thousands of irregular migrants traveling to the United States pass through Panama every year. During Trump’s first presidency (2017-2021), the Central American country already refused to take in this population while they process visas to enter the United States, an initiative that the Republican leader intends to revive.
“We are a country open to dialogue, today and always, to investments and good relations, but with the clear motto that the country comes first. For this Panamanian president, that is not negotiable,” he concluded.
