The United States retained control of the 80-kilometer canal until December 31, 1999, when it was handed over to Panamanian authorities.
The Panama Canal belongs to Panama, its President Jose Raul Mulino said in response to Trump’s claims and intentions to restore Washington’s control of the canal. The address of the politician on Sunday, December 22, was published on his page in the social network X.
According to José Raul Mulino, the canal is part of the country’s history, and Panama’s independence sovereignty is non-negotiable.
“Every meter of the Panama Canal belongs to Panama and therefore the sovereignty and independence of our country cannot be a subject of discussion,” said Mulino.
In response, Trump ironically wrote on the social network Truth Social: “We’ll see” and “Welcome to the USA channel.”
The Panama Canal is considered one of the most important transportation channels of international importance. It is located entirely within the territory of Panama and connects the Pacific Ocean Bay of Panama with the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The canal was built in the USA and put into operation in 1914. American authorities retained control of the sea route until December 31, 1999, after which it was transferred to the Panamanian government.
The United States is known to account for the majority of cargo passing through Panama’s gateways. By 2024, American ships carried 160 million tons of cargo through the canal, accounting for three-quarters of the canal’s total customers. In second place, by a large margin from the United States, is China, whose ships carried only 45 million cargoes. Next in statistics are Japan (30 million) and South Korea (19 million).
Previously, President-elect Donald Trump threatened to demand that the Panama Canal be returned to Washington’s control if transit duties for American ships were not reduced.
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Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.