Politics Trump threatens to reclaim the Panama Canal
US President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to reclaim control of the Panama Canal under certain circumstances.
22.12.2024, 23:51
SDA
"Has anyone here ever heard of the Panama Canal?" the Republican asked the audience at a right-wing conservative conference in the state of Arizona. "Because we're getting ripped off with the Panama Canal, just like everywhere else."
Trump demands: USA must be "treated fairly"
Trump criticized the fact that the canal was once built "at tremendous cost to the US" and then "foolishly given away" by President Jimmy Carter (1977-1981). He described the fees charged by Panama for the passage as "ridiculous and highly unfair".
If the USA was "not treated fairly" and the "principles of this magnanimous gesture of giving" were not followed, the USA would demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States of America "completely, quickly and without question", Trump explained. Trump had already made this demand on his Truth Social platform the previous day.
Immediate objection from Panama
In a video address to his nation, Panama's President, José Raúl Mulino, rejected Trump's statements - without mentioning the US President-elect by name. "Every square meter of the Panama Canal and the adjacent territory belongs to Panama and will continue to do so," said Mulino. "The sovereignty and independence of our country are non-negotiable."
The canal connects the Atlantic with the Pacific and is one of the most important trade routes in the world. At the beginning of the 20th century, the USA carried out the construction of the major project - it also controlled the area for decades afterwards. Control was then gradually handed over to Panama.
USA has no special rights to the Panama Canal
The fees charged by Panama are regarded as normal market rates, as they are based on the size and tonnage of the ships passing through. There are no provisions that - as Trump is demanding - guarantee the USA preferential treatment simply because of its historical role as the builder.
"The fees are not arbitrary," Mulino emphasized. "They are set in a public manner and in public hearing."
Greenland once piqued Trump's interest
During his first term in office, Trump did in fact once seriously court the territory of another country. In the summer of 2019, he proposed buying Greenland and incorporating it into the USA. The response from Denmark, to which the world's largest island belongs politically, was clear: no thanks.
