The Panamanian president, José Raúl Mulino, assured this Monday that the canal “is and will continue to be Panama’s” and denied that there is a foreign presence in the administration of the road, rejecting Donald Trump’s promise to “recover it” because it is ” operating” China.
“I must comprehensively reject the words outlined by President Donald Trump (…) the canal is and will continue to be Panama’s,” Mulino said in a statement published on his X account.
Mulino’s response comes shortly after Donald Trump gave his inauguration speech as the 47th president of the United States, in which he insisted that he will seek to “recover” the Panama Canal.
“China is operating the Panama Canal and we did not give it to China,” insisted the Republican, who in recent weeks has not ruled out the use of military force to take control of that interoceanic waterway.
Shortly before taking office, Trump had repeatedly said he wanted to seize the Panama Canal, built by the United States and inaugurated in 1914, and then transferred to the Central American country in 1999.
“We have been very mistreated with this foolish gift that should never have been given. The promise that Panama made to us has not been fulfilled,” Trump said in his inaugural address, shortly after his swearing-in.
-Trump has criticized then-President Jimmy Carter’s 1977 deal that resulted in the transfer of control of the canal to Panama in 1999.
“Let’s get it back“he promised amidst applause.
“The purpose of our agreement and the spirit of our treaty have been completely violated. American ships are being severely overtariffed and are not being treated fairly in any way, including the United States Navy,” Trump said.
Swiss
