Editions
Los 40 USA
Scores
Follow us on
Hello

Politics

Panama stands up to Trump’s threat about taking Panama Canal: “The Canal is and will remain Panama’s”

Newly sworn-in President Donald Trump invoked ‘Manifest Destiny’ in his inaugural address and said of the Panama Canal, “we’re taking it back.”

How much would a dry canal in Honduras cost?
Carlos JassoREUTERS

Donald Trump was sworn in for a second term on Monday, this time as the 47th US president. In his inaugural address he laid out a vision of territorial expansion saying, “the United States will once again consider itself a growing nation.”

As part of his ‘Manifest Destiny’ agenda for the nation, which would carry the US “flag into new and beautiful horizons,” he said that American astronauts would be launched into space “to plant the stars and stripes on the planet Mars.”

Closer to home, he specifically targeted acquiring the Panama Canal, of which the US transferred full control to Panama in 1999, “we’re taking it back,” Trump said. In response, the Panamanian president, José Raúl Mulino, put out a statement saying that “the Canal is and will remain Panama’s and its administration will continue to be under Panamanian control with respect for its permanent neutrality.”

Trump says giving the Panama Canal to Panama was a “foolish gift”

Trump set his sights on the US reacquiring control of the Panama Canal in late December saying that it is an asset of critical importance to the country’s economic security and military deployment. He believes that the US is being “ripped off” by the fees charged to cross the vital 51-mile shortcut linking the Pacific Ocean with the Caribbean Sea reducing transoceanic travel by thousands of miles.

One of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, the Panama Canal was completed in 1914, built largely by the United States which administered the transport link and the territory surrounding it for decades. However, in 1977, under the Jimmy Carter administration, the US reached an agreement with Panama to give it control of the canal. The transition under the Torrijos-Carter treaty was fully completed December 31, 1999.

“”We have been treated very badly from this foolish gift that should have never been made,” Trump said. He claimed that Panama has broken its promise to the US. “The purpose of our deal and the spirit of our treaty has been totally violated,” Trump stated.

“We didn’t give it to China. We gave it to Panama, and we’re taking it back,” Trump said.

Panama’s President Mulino says “the Canal was not a concession from anyone”

“On behalf of the Republic of Panama and its people, I must reject in a comprehensive manner the words outlined by President Donald Trump regarding Panama and its Canal, in his inaugural speech,” said President Mulino of Panama in a statement.

“I reiterate what I expressed in my message to the Nation last December 22: the Canal is and will remain Panama’s and its administration will continue to be under Panamanian control with respect for its permanent neutrality,” he added. “There is no presence of any nation in the world that interferes with our administration.”

“The Canal was not a concession from anyone. It was the result of generational struggles that culminated in 1999, as a result of the Torrijos-Carter treaty. And, from then to date, for 25 years, uninterruptedly, we have administered and expanded it responsibly to serve the world and its commerce, including the United States,” he concluded.

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.