January 20, 2025
That was president Trump during his inaugural address this morning talking about the Panama canal. How exactly we’re going to take it back — he did not say. Though in the past he has not ruled out military force. I’m sure we’ll hear more from him about that soon.
But in the meantime, Panama’s president Jose Raul Mulino definitely had something to say about trump’s inaugural statement. He posted this long statement in Spanish on x.
The statement says I must reject in its entirety the words outline by president Donald Trump regarding Panama and its canal in his inaugural address.
He went on to write – the canal is and will continue to be Panama’s and its administration will continue to be under Panamanian control.
He went on to deny Trump’s accusation that China is operating the canal.
He went on to talk about the Torrijos-Carter treaty of 1999 which actually was reached back in 1977 under then president Jimmy Carter. That deal acknowledged Panama’s sovereignty over the canal and declared that the canal was neutral and open to all nations. Congress then passed a law solidifying the deal in 1979. It was fully implemented and Panama took full control of the canal in 1999. But let me be clear there was a lot of political back and forth about this move. It was controversial in the 70’s and 90s and clearly it’s becoming controversial now.
Read more here.
