Donald Trump Control of the Panama Canal Dispute over American Sovereignty 2024 President of Panama José Raul Molino – Donald Trump threatened America’s control of the Panama Canal The President of Panama became angry and expressed his objection

Phoenix: US President-elect Donald Trump said on Sunday that his administration may try to regain control of the Panama Canal that the United States “stupidly” ceded to its Central American ally. Trump’s logic behind his statement was to impose “unnecessary” fees on ships to pass through this important canal that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Meanwhile, Panamanian President Jose Raul Molino flatly rejected this idea, calling it an affront to his country’s sovereignty. Newly elected Republican President Trump made the comment at his first major rally after winning the election on November 5. In his speech to his supporters at the Turning Point USA AmericaFest festival in Arizona, Trump said that his administration would work to rapidly develop the economy, close the borders of the United States, and end the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine immediately. “I can proudly say that the golden age of America is before us,” Trump said. “There is a feeling within us now that did not exist until a long time ago.

What did Trump say?

“We want to try to bring everyone together,” Trump said in his speech. We’re going to try. We’ll really give it a chance. He said that the leaders of the Democratic Party “lost their confidence and became confused after the elections, but they will stand by us in the end because we want them to stand by us.” During this, Trump expressed his opinion on many new and old issues.

“We have been denied the Panama Canal,” he said in his speech. He also said that America “stupidly” handed it over to its Central American ally.

America built the canal

The United States built the canal in the early twentieth century to facilitate the movement of commercial and military ships between its shores. Washington handed over control of the waterway to Panama on December 31, 1999, under a treaty signed by President Jimmy Carter in 1977.

The canal relies on reservoirs, and was significantly affected by drought in 2023, forcing the country to limit the number of ships passing through it. Apart from this, the fees charged on boats have also been increased. Transit on the canal has returned to normal with moderate weather in the last months of this year, but the increase in fees is expected to continue until next year.

Threat related to the Panama Canal

Panama is an important ally of the United States and the canal is vital to its economy. The President of Panama has supported Trump on many issues from time to time. Trump said in his speech that when his second term begins and if some principles are not followed during that period, he will hand over the entire Panama Canal to America for a refund immediately and without any questions.

After Trump’s speech, Panamanian President Molino posted a video in which he said: “Every square meter of the canal belongs to Panama and will remain their country in the future.” “The people of Panama may have different views on many issues, but when it comes to our canal and our sovereignty, we are all united,” Molino said.