President-elect Donald Trump Threatens to Re-Establish US Control of Panama Canal
President-elect Donald Trump threatened Sunday to re-establish US control of the Panama Canal, charging that the country is being “ripped off” by Panama’s fees for using the shipping passage. Trump made the comments at an event in Arizona, where he also expressed concern over potential Chinese influence in the region.
Trump posted a picture of an American flag on the canal, captioned “Welcome to the United States Canal,” and claimed that the US was being taken advantage of. The canal, a key marine trade route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, was built and controlled by the US, but was handed over to the Panamanian government in 1999.
In a recorded message, Panama’s President Jose Raul Mulino rejected Trump’s claims, saying that the US could not retake control of the waterway and defended the fees charged by the Panama Canal Authority. Mulino also rejected concerns over Chinese influence in the region, stating that China has only discussed investment opportunities but has not been granted control over the canal.
The comments are the latest example of Trump’s “America-first” stance, though it is unclear why he has focused on the issue. Panama has been a steady US ally since the ouster of dictator Manuel Noriega in 1989, and the canal has been a major driver of the country’s economy.