Panama leaders reassert sovereignty over Panama Canal after Trump threat
Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino reaffirmed the country's sovereignty over the Panama Canal in a statement signed alongside three former presidents of the country on Tuesday in response to recent threats made by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to take control of the canal.
Calling the Panama Canal "a vital national asset for the United States", Trump on Saturday slammed what he called unfair fees for U.S. ships passing through the Canal and threatened to demand control of the waterway be "returned" to Washington.
Trump's statement has been met with fierce opposition from the Panama side.
Tuesday's statement by the presidents restated that the sovereignty and independence of Panama are not negotiable.
"As former presidents, we support the statements of President Jose Raul Mulino and we unite under the affirmation that the sovereignty of our country and our canal are not negotiable," former presidents Mireya Moscoso, Ernesto Perez Balladares, and Martin Torrijos Espino said in the statement.
The statement noted that the canal has the mission of serving humanity and its trade, which is one of the great values that Panamanians offer to the world, giving the international community a guarantee of not taking part, or being an active part in any conflict.
Also on Tuesday, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America - People's Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) said in a statement that its member states strongly reject the statements made by Trump.
The Panama Canal is an important commercial passageway protected by International Law, the Torrijos-Carter Treaty and the Treaty Relating to the Permanent Neutrality and Operation of the Panama Canal, which, as an immovable law, establishes that the waterway is an inalienable part of Panamanian territory, and therefore this claim represents an aggression against the sovereignty of that country, said the statement.
The Bolivarian Alliance categorically rejects this new threat to the Latin American and Caribbean region and supports Panama in the defense of its sovereignty, territorial integrity and self-determination, the statement said.
The Panama Canal, an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic with the Pacific, was completed by the United States in 1914 and returned to Panama in 1999 under a treaty signed by then U.S. President Jimmy Carter and then Panamanian leader Omar Torrijos. The deal relinquishes American control over the canal by year 2000 and guarantees its neutrality.
The United States and Panama have put forward a new draft resolution at the United Nations Security Council, seeking to tackle the growing threat of a...
The World Food Programme has called for more food aid to be allowed in to Gaza to quell widespread starvation....
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is highlighting Türkiye’s push for homegrown air defence, as the country develops new systems and deepens d...
Bulgaria reported outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza on three farms in the southern part of the country, the World Organisation for Animal...
The United Kingdom has summoned the Russian envoy over its latest attack on Kyiv which killed civilians and damaged buildings including the EU delegat...
The United States and Panama have put forward a new draft resolution at the United Nations Security Council, seeking to tackle the growing threat of armed gangs in Haiti and to establish a more sustainable UN-backed security mechanism.
The United Kingdom has summoned the Russian envoy over its latest attack on Kyiv which killed civilians and damaged buildings including the EU delegation and the British Council.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Tehran has agreed with the visit by inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) simply to monitor refueling of its Bushehr nuclear power plant warning that return of nuclear sanctions will negatively affect its limited cooperation with the
China plans to triple Artificial Intelligence (AI) chip production within a year, boosting self-sufficiency for firms such as Huawei, despite U.S. export curbs, reducing reliance on foreign suppliers and bolster domestic innovation, in a move that could reshape global tech competition.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
Kuwait says oil prices will likely stay below $72 per barrel as OPEC monitors global supply trends and U.S. policy signals. The remarks come during market uncertainty fueled by new U.S. tariffs on India and possible sanctions on Russia.
The United States and Panama have put forward a new draft resolution at the United Nations Security Council, seeking to tackle the growing threat of armed gangs in Haiti and to establish a more sustainable UN-backed security mechanism.
The World Food Programme has called for more food aid to be allowed in to Gaza to quell widespread starvation.
The United Kingdom has summoned the Russian envoy over its latest attack on Kyiv which killed civilians and damaged buildings including the EU delegation and the British Council.
China plans to triple Artificial Intelligence (AI) chip production within a year, boosting self-sufficiency for firms such as Huawei, despite U.S. export curbs, reducing reliance on foreign suppliers and bolster domestic innovation, in a move that could reshape global tech competition.
The Kremlin said on Thursday it was still interested in pursuing peace talks over Ukraine, despite a large overnight Russian strike on Kyiv that Ukrainian officials said killed at least 15 people, including four children.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment