Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino has reinforced his country’s ownership of the Panama Canal after the President of the United States (Potus), Donald Trump, pledged to ‘reclaim’ the strategic trade route.
Trump, speaking during his inauguration speech on Monday, said the US would take back the waterway from Panama’s control.
He lauded the country’s expansion programmes under former presidents, William McKinley and Teddy Roosevelt, and said the country would again expand into other territories.
“We will restore the name of the great President William McKinley to Mount McKinley, where it should be and where it belongs. President McKinley made our country very rich through tariffs and through talent,” Trump said.
“He was a natural businessman and gave Teddy Roosevelt the money for many of the great things he did, including the Panama Canal, which has foolishly been given to the country of Panama after the United States – the United States, I mean, think of this, spent more money than ever (…) on a project before and lost 38 000 lives in the building of the Panama Canal.” *
In fact, the US and France built the original canal at the cost of an estimated 300 American lives, while about 25 000 foreign labourers also perished, about 20 000 of whom died of injury and disease.
The US government secured Panama's independence from Colombia and won control of the canal region in 1903. American forces controlled the canal until it was transferred to Panama in 1999. It is now operated by the Autoridad del Canal de Panama (ACP), a state-owned entity of the Panamanian government.
“We have been treated very badly from this foolish gift that should have never been made. And Panama's promise to us has been broken. The purpose of our deal and the spirit of our treaty has been totally violated,” said Trump.
“American ships are being severely overcharged and not treated fairly in any way, shape or form, and that includes the United States Navy. And, above all, China is operating the Panama Canal. And we didn't give it to China, we gave it to Panama, and we're taking it back.”
Responding to Trump’s comments, Mulino, who is an American-trained maritime lawyer, said the waterway belonged to Panama.
"The canal is and will continue to be Panama's and its administration will continue to be under Panamanian control with respect to its permanent neutrality. For 25 years, without interruption, we have managed and expanded it responsibly to serve the world and its commerce, including the United States.”
* This statement has since been debunked by The Guardian’s fact-checking mechanism:
“The official death toll for the American construction effort behind the Panama Canal stands at about 5,600 people. Although the true number may be higher, the majority of deaths would have come from workers from Caribbean islands such as Antigua, Barbados and Jamaica.”
