The United States ceded control of the waterway to Panama in 1999 under a treaty signed in 1977 under President Jimmy Carter.
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US President-elect Donald Trump has suggested his new administration may try to regain control of the Panama Canal which connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and that Washington has “stupidly” given in to its American ally central.
Speaking at his first post-election rally in Arizona, Mr. Trump complained that canal authorities collect “ridiculous” fees from ships that use it.
“Our navy and commerce have been treated very unfairly and maliciously” Donald Trump told his supporters.
“The fees imposed by Panama are ridiculous, very unfair, especially considering the extraordinary generosity that Panama has benefited from. This will stop. The United States has a vested interest in ensuring that the Panama Canal operates safely, efficiently, and reliably.”
The United States ceded control of the waterway to Panama in 1999 under a treaty signed in 1977 under President Jimmy Carter.
The canal is crucial to Panama's economy and generates about a fifth of the government's annual revenue.
The canal relies on reservoirs to operate its locks. He was seriously affected by droughts in Central America in 2023which forced it to considerably reduce the number of daily slots for ship crossings.
As fewer ships pass through the canal each day, administrators have also increased the fees charged to all shippers for reserving a slot.
With weather conditions returning to normal in the final months of this year, transit on the canal has normalized, but price increases are still expected for next year.
Mr. Trump said that when he becomes president, “this total scam” of the United States “will cease immediately”.
If not, the waterway could “be returned to the United States of America in its entirety and without discussion“, but he did not explain how this would be possible.
The President of Panama, José Raúl Mulinofor his part categorically rejected the idea that Washington could try to regain control of the canal.
“Every square meter of the Panama Canal and its surroundings belongs to Panama and will continue to belong to Panama. The sovereignty and independence of our country are non-negotiable“he said on Sunday evening.
The Republican president-elect took advantage of his first major rally since his victory at the White House in November to congratulate himself on his return to power, to the cheers of a large audience of conservatives.
Speaking to supporters at AmericaFest at Turning Point USA in Arizona, Donald Trump promised that his “dream office“would ensure a booming economy, sealing of America's borders, and rapid resolution of the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine.
ADVERTISEMENT“I can proudly proclaim that America's golden age is upon us” Mr. Trump said.
“We have a spirit today that we didn’t have until recently.”
