The elected president of the United States donald trump threatened to reassert his country’s control over the Panama Canalaccusing the Central American nation of charging excessive fees to use the passage, which allows ships to cross between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
In a post Saturday night on his Truth Social social network, Trump also warned that he would not let the channel fall into the “wrong hands,” and appeared to warn of possible Chinese influence in the move, writing that the channel should not be administered by the Asian giant.
Donald Trump thinks about regaining control of the Panama Canal
China does not control or manage the channel. However, a subsidiary of CK Hutchinson Holdings in Hong Kong operates two ports located at the Caribbean and Pacific entrances of the canal, respectively.
The message was an extremely rare example of an American leader saying he could pressure a sovereign country to give him territory. It also underscores an expected shift in American diplomacy under Trump, who historically has not shied away from threatening allies and using bellicose rhetoric when dealing with his counterparts.
“The tariffs Panama is charging are ridiculous, especially knowing the extraordinary generosity that has been granted to Panama by the United States,” Trump wrote in Truth Social.
“It was not given for the benefit of others, but simply as a show of cooperation with us and Panama. If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be given to us.” returned, in its entirety, and without questions,” he wrote.
The Panamanian embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment. The isthmus Foreign Ministry and the Canal Administration did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
Various Panamanian politicians took to social media to criticize Trump’s statements and ask their government to defend the autonomy of the interoceanic passage.
“The government has the duty to defend our autonomy as an independent country. Diplomacy requires firmness in the face of regrettable words,” wrote representative Grace Hernández, of the opposition party Movimiento Otro Camino (MOCA), in X.
For his part, the Ombudsman, Eduardo Leblanc Jr., emphasized the “neutrality” of the Canal.
“The Neutrality Treaty guarantees that the Panama Canal is an open, safe and accessible route for global trade, reaffirming our sovereignty and contributing to global development. A historic commitment to peace and equality,” Leblanc wrote in X.
The Panama Canal Neutrality Treaty establishes that the sea route will remain open both in times of war and peace, regardless of the nationality of the ships. However, American and Panamanian ships will have priority.
The United States largely built the canal and administered the territory surrounding the pass for nearly a century. But both countries signed a pair of agreements in 1977 that paved the way for the canal to return fully under Panamanian control as of the last day of 1999.
The waterway, which allows up to 14,000 ships to cross annually, accounts for 2.5% of global maritime trade and is critical to U.S. imports of automobiles and commercial goods on container ships from Asia, and to U.S. exports of raw materials. , including liquefied natural gas (LNG).
It’s unclear how Trump would try to regain control over the canal, and he would have no recourse under international law if he decided to make a play for the passage.
This is not the first time that Trump has openly considered territorial expansion.
In recent weeks, he has repeatedly mulled over the possibility of turning Canada into an American state, although it is unclear how serious he is about the issue.
During his first term (2017-2021), Trump expressed interest in purchasing Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark. He was publicly rejected by Danish authorities before talks could take place. (Reporting by Gram Slattery; Additional reporting by Elida Moreno in Panama City and Diego Oré in Mexico City; Editing by Ross Colvin and Mark Porter)
Source: Gram Slattery/Reuters
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