Panama’s president responded to President-elect Trump’s suggestion that the U.S. should try to take back control of the Panama Canal.
Trump claimed on Sunday that the U.S. “foolishly gave it away” and is now “being ripped off” by high tolls. In response, Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino released a video firmly stating that “every square meter of the canal belongs to Panama and always will.”
Without mentioning Trump directly, Mulino defended the canal’s fees, explaining that they are set by experts based on operational costs and market demand. He also pointed out that Panama has expanded the canal over the years to handle more ship traffic and that the fees help fund these improvements.
“Panamanians may disagree on many things,” Mulino said, “but when it comes to our canal and our sovereignty, we stand united under our flag.”
Trump later responded on social media, saying, “We’ll see about that!” He also shared an image of a U.S. flag planted in the canal zone with the caption, “Welcome to the United States Canal!”
On Saturday, Trump had criticized the canal tolls on Truth Social, calling them excessive. Fees for using the canal vary widely, with the largest ships paying up to $500,000.
The Panama Canal, built by the U.S. in the early 1900s, was handed over to Panama on December 31, 1999, under a treaty signed in 1977 by President Jimmy Carter.
