Reuters reported that on December 22, US President-elect Donald Trump announced that he would regain control of the Panama Canal, and accused Panama of abusing the waterway in the Central American region to collect too high fees. Panama President Jose Paul Mulino strongly objected.
Speaking at AmericaFest - an annual event organized by the conservative coalition Turning Point in Arizona (USA), Mr. Trump affirmed that he would not let the Panama Canal be illegally exploited.
The President-elect then posted a picture of the US flag flying in a distance in front of a channel on the social network Truth Social with the status: "Welcome to the US Canal". Mr. Trump also said that Americans are being "ripped off" when traveling through this area.
Trump's comments also emphasized that US foreign policy will have many changes when President-elect Donald Trump officially takes office.
The Panama Canal was previously owned by the US but was transferred to Panama decades ago under many conditions. Mr. Trump has said he will demand the return of the Panama Canal if both legal and ethical principles are not guaranteed.
On the same day, Panama President Jose Paul Mulino responded strongly. Mulino insists Panamas independence is undeniable and defends the fees Panama collects for using the canal, saying they are not set arbitrarily.
Not stopping there, President-elect Donald Trump immediately responded with a caption on his personal page: "We will see about that".
Every year, up to 14,000 ships, equivalent to 2.5% of global maritime trade, pass through the Panama Canal. This is a vital commercial waterway especially for importing cars and many other goods from Asia to the US, but it is also a place where the US exports goods.
