US President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday accused the Panamanian government of charging exorbitant fees to use the canal, warning that if it does not manage the canal in an acceptable manner, he will demand that the ally country hand over control of the canal to the United States. zone.
In a post on the Truth Social platform, Trump emphasized that he has no intention of leaving the channel in the “wrong hands,” writing that it should not be run by China.
It is an extremely rare position from a US leader, leaving open the possibility of pressuring a sovereign country to hand over part of its territory. It also demonstrates an expected shift in US diplomacy under Trump, who has not previously shied away from threatening allies and using belligerent rhetoric in negotiations with his counterparts.
The US completed the construction of the Panama Canal and controlled the sea passage for decades. On December 31, 1999, Washington handed over full control of the canal to the Panamanian government.
“The fees charged by Panama are ridiculous, especially considering the incredibly generous attitude of the US towards Panama,” Trump wrote in his post on the Truth Social platform. The US generosity “was not offered to benefit others, but as a sign of our cooperation with Panama. If the moral and legal principles of this generous gesture of offering are not respected, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us in full, without discussion,” he stressed.
