Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino firmly rejected any negotiation to return the Panama Canal to US control, calling it a matter of national sovereignty. Mulino's statement came ahead of a visit by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is focused on addressing the surge of migrants crossing the Darién Gap and concerns about Chinese influence in the region. Mulino denied claims of Chinese military presence in the canal and accused Trump of 'abusing' the canal.
President José Raúl Mulino of Panama told reporters on Thursday that any negotiation to return the Panama Canal to American control was “impossible” and that he could “not negotiate” on the issue, as it was a matter of the core sovereignty of the country.
“Panama controls the Panama Canal, and the administration of it has always been in Panamanian hands,” he insisted. “In the last few years, our canal has been expanded, grew, and serves the entire world in an equitable world. This guarantees the freedom of global commerce.” “Look, the Panama Canal is vital to our country. It’s being operated by China. And we gave the Panama Canal to Panama; we didn’t give it to China. And they’ve abused it,” TrumpTrump criticized former President Jimmy Carter for signing the agreement that handed the Canal, built by Americans, over to Panama. Panama formally took control of the Canal in 1999 as part of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties signed in 1978.
“I’m compelled to respect that an argument could be made that the terms under which that canal were turned over have been violated, because, while technically, sovereignty over the canal has not been turned over to a foreign power, in reality, a foreign power possesses it through their companies,” Rubiothe Panama Canal as a key concern regarding Chinese influence in the U.S.’s orbit, lamenting that prior presidential administrations have neglected the Western Hemisphere in their foreign policy.
PANAMA CANAL US-PANAMA RELATIONS CHINESE INFLUENCE MIGRATION Marcorubio
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