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.
China’s core artificial intelligence industry is projected to surpass 1.2 trillion yuan in 2025, up from more than 900 billion yuan in 2024, accordi...
Climatologists say Poland has logged its warmest December in 74 years, with 2025 continuing a run of above-average temperatures and repeated national ...
Russia’s Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova says the Kyiv authorities have still not provided Moscow with a list of thousands of Ukrainian...
Delegations from the United States and Ukraine arrived in Berlin on Sunday for talks on a U.S.-backed peace plan, after being received by German Chanc...
Iran has rolled out changes to how fuel is priced at the pump. The move is aimed at managing demand without triggering public anger....
U.S. stock markets closed lower at the end of the week, as investors continued to rotate out of technology shares, putting pressure on major indices.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has warned that without concrete concessions from Russia, such as limiting its military forces or curbing its defence budget, new conflicts could erupt elsewhere, even if Ukraine receives security guarantees.
The latest round of clashes between Thailand and Cambodia has left 15 Thai soldiers dead and 270 others injured, Thailand’s Ministry of Defence spokesman Surasant Kongsiri said at a press conference on Saturday.
Iranian authorities have seized a foreign tanker carrying more than 6 million litres of smuggled fuel in the Sea of Oman, detaining all 18 crew members on board.
The Oligarch’s Design is an investigative documentary exploring how financial power, political influence and carefully constructed narratives can shape conflict and public perception.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated his offer to host Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Ankara, at his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The talks took place on the sidelines of the international Forum for Peace and Trust in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on Friday (12 December).
Iranian authorities have seized a foreign tanker carrying more than 6 million litres of smuggled fuel in the Sea of Oman, detaining all 18 crew members on board.
An explosive device found in a vehicle linked to one of the alleged attackers in Bondi shooting has been secured and removed according to Police. The incident left 12 people dead.
Russian forces struck Ukraine’s southern port city of Odesa for a second consecutive day on Saturday (13 December), deploying Kinzhal hypersonic missiles for the first time in the conflict, Ukrainian authorities said.
Russia’s Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova says the Kyiv authorities have still not provided Moscow with a list of thousands of Ukrainian children it claims were illegally taken to Russia, despite the issue being raised during talks in Istanbul.
Delegations from the United States and Ukraine arrived in Berlin on Sunday for talks on a U.S.-backed peace plan, after being received by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, a government source said.
Chileans head to the polls on Sunday for a presidential runoff that could deliver the country’s strongest move to the right since the end of military rule in 1990, as crime and security dominate voter concerns.
An explosive device found in a vehicle linked to one of the alleged attackers in Bondi shooting has been secured and removed according to Police. The incident left 12 people dead.
Farmers in France staged protests on Saturday (13 December) over the culling of cattle linked to an outbreak of nodular dermatitis, commonly known as lumpy skin disease (LSD).
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment