Panama president Mulino responds strongly to Trump’s canal demand It Stays with Panama

The President of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, responded to the remarks made by the elected President of the United States, Donald Trump, regarding his potential demand for the return of the Panama Canal to the US.

“Every square meter of the Panama Canal and the surrounding area belongs to Panama and will continue belonging to Panama,” Mulino said, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

He added that China had no influence over the canal’s administration. Mulino also addressed concerns about the canal’s fees, noting that they were not arbitrarily set.

While the US and Panama signed accords in the 1970s that allowed for the gradual transfer of the canal to Panama, the issue of control has remained sensitive.

A subsidiary of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings has managed two ports at the canal's Caribbean and Pacific entrances, but the Chinese government does not control the passage.

Trump’s threat to reclaim control over the canal comes amid broader concerns about China’s growing presence in global trade routes. In recent weeks, Trump has also suggested that the US should acquire Greenland, an idea he first raised during his presidency and reiterated in a statement on Truth Social.

“For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity,” Trump wrote.

Trump’s remarks regarding the Panama Canal have raised questions about how the US could assert control over the waterway, as no legal recourse under international law exists for reclaiming it. The canal, which remains a critical passage for US imports and exports, could be a key point of contention in future diplomatic relations if Trump were to pursue this agenda.

For now, President Mulino has firmly stated that Panama’s control over the canal is non-negotiable. “We’ll see about that!” Trump responded defiantly after Mulino's statement, suggesting that tensions between the two nations could escalate.

To recap, the Panama Canal is a key global shipping route, with approximately five percent of worldwide maritime traffic passing through it. The main users of the passage include the United States, China, Japan, and South Korea.

In October, the Panama Canal Authority reported that it had earned record revenues of nearly $5 billion in the last fiscal year.

By Aghakazim Guliyev