Panama says no negotiation over canal

Admin

February 1, 2025
2 min read

The president of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, said that there will be no negotiation with the US over the Panama canal. He hopes that the American Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s upcoming visit will allow both nations to focus on issues such as migration and combating drug trafficking, rather than the canal.

Rubio’s visit comes as an emissary of President Donald Trump who repeatedly suggested the US retaking the Panama canal. On the day of his inauguration, Trump said that American ships had been “severely overcharged and not treated fairly in any way, shape or form,” and added that “above all, China is operating the Panama Canal.” He had previously said that Washington could demand its return to the US.

Mulino attempted to talk down tension at his weekly press conference. He said that he wishes to clarify confusion over China’s role in the canal as a Hong Kong consortium manages ports at both ends, but the Latin American nation still controls it. He blamed his predecessor for establishing diplomatic ties with China.

“It’s impossible, I can’t negotiate,” Mulino said after being questioned about giving the canal back to the US. “That is done. The canal belongs to Panama.”

“The only thing that I want is to clear all the garbage from the path, clean the table and be able to speak with the United States and very frankly” regarding issues such immigration, security and the war on drug trafficking, Mulino said.

The canal was built by the US in the early 20^th century to help with transit between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, shortening journey times for commercial and military visits. It gave up control to Panama on 31 December, 1999 under a treaty from 1977 signed by then president Jimmy Carter.

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