The President of Panama responds to Trump because of his statements regarding the United States’ acquisition of the canal

US President-elect Donald Trump threatened on Sunday to reassert US control over the Panama Canal, accusing Panama of charging exorbitant prices to use the passage in Central America. These comments sparked a sharp rebuke from Panamanian President Jose Raul Molino.

Speaking to a crowd of supporters in Arizona on Sunday, Trump also said he would not let the canal fall into the “wrong hands,” warning of potential Chinese influence on the corridor.

China does not control or operate the canal, but a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings has long operated two ports located on the canal’s approaches to the Caribbean and Pacific regions.

The president-elect’s comments came hours after a similar threat was made against Panama in a post on Truth Social on Saturday evening.

“Has anyone ever heard of the Panama Canal?” Trump said Sunday at AmericaFest, an annual event organized by Turning Point, a conservative group allied with it. “Because we get robbed in the Panama Canal as much as we get robbed anywhere else.”

Trump’s comments were an extremely rare example of a US leader saying he could push a sovereign country to hand over territory. It also highlights the expected shift in American diplomacy under Trump, who has historically not been shy about threatening allies and using hostile rhetoric when dealing with his counterparts.

“The tariffs imposed by Panama are ridiculous and wildly unfair,” Trump said.

“It was given to Panama and the people of Panama, but it has provisions. You have to treat us fairly, and they did not treat us fairly.”

“If the ethical and legal principles of this generous gesture of giving are not followed, we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us in full, quickly and without question,” he added.

In a recorded message released by Panamanian leader Molino on Sunday afternoon, he said that Panama’s independence is non-negotiable, and that China has no influence on the management of the canal. He also defended the traffic rates imposed by Panama, saying they were not set on a “whim.”

“Every square meter of the Panama Canal and the surrounding area belongs to Panama and will continue to belong to (Panama),” Molyneux said in the statement posted on X, previously Twitter.

Several other Panamanian politicians, including members of the opposition, also took to social media to criticize Trump’s statements.

The United States largely built the canal and managed the lands surrounding the passage for decades. But the United States and Panama signed two agreements in 1977 that paved the way for the canal to return to full Panamanian control. The United States handed over control of the corridor in 1999 after a period of joint administration.

The waterway, which allows up to 14,000 ships to pass annually, represents 2.5 percent of global seaborne trade and is important for U.S. imports of automobiles and trade goods by container ships from Asia, and for U.S. exports of goods, including liquefied natural materials. . gas.

It is not clear how Trump would seek to regain control of the canal, and he would have no recourse under international law if he decided to exploit the passage.

This is not the first time that Trump has publicly considered regional expansion.

In recent weeks, he has repeatedly considered turning Canada into a US state, although it is unclear how serious he is about the issue. During his first term, Trump expressed interest in purchasing Greenland, an autonomous region of Denmark. He was publicly rejected by the Danish authorities before any talks took place.