Donald Trump campaigning in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this Friday.
President-elect insinuates that China is exerting influence over the canal, which is essential for US companies: 5% of global maritime traffic passes through there. Annexing Greenland is also an “absolute necessity”.
Donald Trump, who will take office as US leader on January 20, complained over the past weekend about rates that he described as ridiculous and management of the Panama Canalthreatening to demand a return if “moral and legal” principles are not respected.
“It was only up to Panama to manage it, not China or any other country,” the billionaire wrote on his social network, Truth Social. “We would not and will NEVER let it fall into the wrong hands!”
The Panama Canal is a Vital waterway for North American companies and interests who use it to transport goods between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
According to estimates, around 5% of global maritime traffic passes through the canalwhich allows ships traveling between Asia and the east coast of the United States to avoid a long and dangerous detour through the southern tip of South America.
In October, the Panama Canal Authority announced that it had registered almost recipes 5 billion dollars (4.8 billion euros) during the last fiscal year.
“This theft will stop immediately”
If Panama is unable to guarantee the “safe, efficient and reliable operation” of this waterway, “then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned in fulland without discussion,” Trump further wrote.
“Our navy and our commerce are being treated particularly unfairly (…) The fees [de passagem] that Panama charges are ridiculous”, stated the Republican: this “total robbery of our country will stop immediately”, he promised.
The canal was built by the United States, which opened it in 1914 and administered it until its inauguration. full transfer to the Panamanian State, on December 31, 1999, as established in the Torrijos-Carter Treaties, signed on September 7, 1977, in Washington, signed by former Democratic President Jimmy Carter.
“Every square meter belongs to Panama”
The Panamanian President, José Raúl Mulinoreiterated the country’s sovereignty over the Panama Canal and rejected the threat from the elected president of the United States: “every square meter of the canal belongs to Panama”.
“Every square meter of the Panama Canal and the adjacent area belongs to Panama and will continue to do so,” since the country’s “sovereignty and independence” are “non-negotiable,” Mulino said on Sunday.
After José Raúl Mulino’s statements, Donald Trump on his Truth Social network “We’ll see!” and, minutes later, the image of an American flag with the caption: “Welcome to the United States channel”.
China reacted in defense of Panama
China assured that the Panama Canal “is a great creation of the Panamanian people”, in reference to the threat from the elected president of the United States.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a press conference that China “has always respected the Panamanian people’s fair fight for sovereignty” over the transport route.
Mao recalled that “there were large-scale demonstrations in China as early as the 1960s to show strong support for the Panamanian people.”
“We believe that, under Panama’s efficient management, the canal will continue to make new contributions to facilitate integration and exchange between different countries,” added the spokeswoman, referring to the Panamanian president’s statements.
This isn’t the first time the real estate mogul has been against the return of the Panama Canal. On March 11, 2011, Panama City declared Trump ‘persona non grata’following an interview during which Trump stated that the United States was “stupid” in offering the channel for nothing.
Annexing Greenland: “absolute necessity”
The US President-elect also said that the US “has to own and control Greenland”, for security reasons — a position that he has been reinforcing for years, since his first term in the White House.
“It’s a absolute necessity“, said Trump, in a publication in which he announced that Ken Howery, co-founder of Paypal, will be the US ambassador to Denmark, which has, over the years, not liked Trump’s idea.
Greenland, located on the continent of North America, is administered by Denmark.
Danish officials have always rejected the idea of the US — or even — the territory, claiming Greenland, which even led Trump to a planned state visit to Denmark at the time.
