After US President-elect Donald Trump threatened to reclaim the Panama Canal, Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino reiterated the nation’s sovereignty over the canal on Sunday.
In a taped statement made public on X, Mulino declared that Panama’s sovereignty and independence are unassailable and that “every square meter of the Panama canal and the surrounding area belongs to Panama and will continue to belong so.”
The president-elect voiced his displeasure with the canal on his Truth Social platform the day before Mulino made his public remarks, though he never specifically mentioned Trump.
“Our Navy and Commerce have received extremely unjust and careless treatment. “The fees that Panama is charging are absurd,” he declared.
Trump also bemoaned China’s increasing sway over the canal, which is concerning for US interests.
