Trump threatens to try and regain control of the Panama Canal
In Panama City, President-elect Donald Trump has demanded that Panama lower its fees on the Panama Canal or cede it back to U.S. control, as he accused the Central American country of charging "ridiculous prices" for American shipping and naval vessels.
"The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous, highly unfair," he told a crowd of supporters in Arizona on Sunday.
"This full rip-off of our country will stop immediately," he said, referring to when he takes office next month.
His comments elicited a quick rebuke from Panama's president, who said "every square meter" of the canal and surrounding area belonged to his country.
President José Raúl Mulino added that Panama's sovereignty and independence were non-negotiable.
Trump addressed the supporters of Turning Point USA, which funded his 2024 election campaigns with millions of dollars.
It was a rare instance of a US leader saying he could push a country to hand over territory - although he did not explain how he would do so - and a sign of how American foreign policy and diplomacy may shift once he enters the White House following his inauguration on 20 January.
Donald Trump responded late Wednesday with statements following a similar tweet the day before, declaring the Panama Canal an essential national interest to America.
"If the shipping cost doesn't go down," the president added Sunday, "we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us, in full, quickly, and without question".
The 51-mile (82km) Panama Canal cuts across the Central American nation and is the main link between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans
Trump Panama Canal Reddit
Trump warned Panama on Saturday it needs to stop charging its 'exorbitant fees or he will take the Panama Canal back.
"The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous, also knowing the extraordinary generosity bestowed upon Panama by the U.S.", he posted late Saturday. "This complete rip-off of our Country will be put to an immediate halt.
Panama charges the boats and vessels tariffs for the passage through the waterway, though the charges are as low as $0.50 and as high as $300,000.
The U.S. built the canal after a treaty was signed with Panama, the newly independent country, in 1903. Even though the United States was the original overseer of the canal, former president Jimmy Carter signed two treaties in 1977 that committed to the transfer of the control of the canal to Panama in the next 22 years.
Trump on Saturday attacked Carter for giving away the canal and seemed to warn that it might fall into Chinese hands.
It "When President Jimmy Carter foolishly gave it away, for One Dollar, during his term in Office, it was solely for Panama to manage, not China, or anyone else, but it was likewise not given for Panama to charge the United States, its Navy, and corporations doing business within our Country exorbitant prices and rates of passage," Trump wrote.
Politico reports, however, that while experts don't seem to believe this treaty provision actually gives President Trump legal options to recover his lock on the Canal.
Mr Trump's threat follows after an ultimatum issued threatening to consider turning Canada to the 51st United States because of differences surrounding tariffs.
Can Trump take back the Panama Canal?
President-elect Donald Trump has threatened Panama to decrease fees on the Panama Canal or return it to U.S. control, criticizing the central American country for charging "exorbitant prices" to American shipping and naval vessels.
"The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous, highly unfair," he said to a crowd of supporters in Arizona on Sunday.
"This total theft of our country will be halted right away," he said, referring to when he assumes office next month.
His comments drew a swift rebuke from Panama's president, who said "every square meter" of the canal and surrounding area belongs to his country.
President José Raúl Mulino added that Panama's sovereignty and independence were non-negotiable.
Trump made the remarks to Turning Point USA supporters, a conservative activist group that has been a significant source of support for his 2024 election campaign.
It was a rare example of a US leader saying he could push a country to hand over territory-though he did not explain how he would do that-and a sign of how American foreign policy and diplomacy may shift once he enters the White House following his inauguration on 20 January.
This was in direct response to a similar statement he made a day prior, where he referred to the Panama Canal as an "essential national asset" for the United States of America.
If shipping rates remain unchanged, Trump stated over the weekend, "we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us, in full, quickly and without question.".
The 51-mile (82km) Panama Canal cuts the Central American nation and becomes the primary link between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.\
can we take back the Panama Canal?
Donald Trump said Sunday that his new administration could try to regain control of the Panama Canal that the United States "foolishly" ceded to its Central American ally, contending that shippers are charged "ridiculous" fees to pass through the vital transportation channel linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Panama's conservative president José Raúl Mulino, elected in May on a pro-business platform, flatly rejected that notion as an affront to his country's sovereignty.
The comment came during his first major rally since winning the White House on Nov. 5. He also basked in his return to power as a large audience of conservatives cheered along. It was a display of party unity at odds with a just-concluded budget fight on Capitol Hill, where some GOP lawmakers openly defied their leader's demands.
Speaking before the supporters at Turning Point USA's AmericaFest in Arizona, Trump promised that his "dream team Cabinet" would usher in a booming economy, sealed U.S. borders, and swift resolution to wars in the Middle East and Ukraine.
READ MORE: can the u.s. take back the panama canal
0 Comments