Donald Trump’s desire to “take back” the Panama Canal has been rejected by the president of Panama, who told his US counterpart that the vital economic channel “is and will remain” in Panama’s control.
President Trump asserted in his inaugural address that “China is operating the Panama Canal” and that Panama had “broken” its pledge to maintain its neutrality.
“There is no presence of any nation in the world that interferes with our administration,” President Jose Raul Mulino said, rejecting Trump’s remarks in their “entirety.”
About 40% of all US container ships travel via the Panama Canal, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, making it one of the most significant commerce routes in the nation.
