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OAN Staff Blake Wolf
11:00 AM – Monday, December 23, 2024
President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to take control of the Panama Canal after accusing Panama of charging the United States exorbitant prices to utilize the Central American passage.
Trump issued the warning in a Truth Social post stating that the canal, which was built by the United States, was not given to Panama to charge “exorbitant prices and rates of passage.”
“The Panama Canal is considered a VITAL National Asset for the United States, due to its critical role to America’s Economy and National Security. A secure Panama Canal is crucial for U.S. Commerce, and rapid deployment of the Navy, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and drastically cuts shipping times to U.S. ports. The United States is the Number One user of the Canal, with over 70 percent of all transits heading to, or from, U.S. ports,” Trump wrote.
“Considered one of the Wonders of the Modern World, the Panama Canal opened for business 110 years ago, and was built at HUGE cost to the United States in lives and treasure – 38,000 American men died from infected mosquitos in the jungles during construction. Teddy Roosevelt was President of the United States at the time of its building, and understood the strength of Naval Power and Trade. When President Jimmy Carter foolishly gave it away, for One Dollar, during his term in Office, it was solely for Panama to manage, not China, or anyone else,” Trump continued.
Although China does not control the canal, a Hong Kong-based subsidiary, CK Hutchison Holdings, has long been managing two ports on the Caribbean and Pacific entrances.
“It was likewise not given for Panama to charge the United States, its Navy, and corporations, doing business within our Country, exorbitant prices and rates of passage. Our Navy and Commerce have been treated in a very unfair and injudicious way. The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous, especially knowing the extraordinary generosity that has been bestowed to Panama by the U.S. This complete ‘rip-off’ of our Country will immediately stop…” he added.
Trump also spoke on the Panama Canal to a crowd of supporters on Sunday at AmericaFest, stating “we’re being ripped off at the Panama Canal like we’re being ripped off everywhere else.”
“It was given to Panama and the people of Panama, but it has provisions. You get to treat us fairly, and they haven’t treated us fairly. If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us, in full, quickly and without question,” Trump stated.
Meanwhile Panamanian politicians took to social media to criticize Trump’s comments.
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino responded to Trump’s comments, rejecting Trump’s claim that the United States was being treated unfairly and reaffirmed that the canal belongs under Panama’s control.
“As president, I want to clearly state that every square meter of the Panama Canal and its adjoining zone is Panama’s and will remain so,” Mulino stated on Sunday. “The sovereignty and independence of our country is non-negotiable.”
The United States paid around $375 million to build the Panama Canal between 1904 and 1914, signing a pair of accords in 1977, handing the canal over to Panama in 1999 following a period of joint administration.
The canal allows for roughly 14,000 ships to cross each year and reportedly accounts for 2.5% of global sea trade.
It is currently unclear how Trump would go about reclaiming the canal, as many online speculate that Trump’s comments were hyperbolic, similar to his comments about annexing Canada to become the 51st state.
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