Urgent.. Trump warns Panama: Either reduce the canal fees or hand them over
US President-elect Donald Trump accused Panama, yesterday, Saturday, of imposing exorbitant fees for the use of the Panama Canal, and said that if Panama did not operate the canal in an acceptable manner, he would demand that the country, an ally of the United States, hand it over.
In an evening post, On his social media site, Truth Social, Trump also warned that he would not allow the canal to fall into the wrong hands, and appeared to warn of potential Chinese influence on the waterway, writing that the canal should not be managed by China.
US pressure
This post was an extremely rare example of a US president saying he could pressure a sovereign nation to hand over territory. It also underscores the expected shift in American diplomacy under Trump, who has not previously hesitated to threaten allies and use aggressive rhetoric when dealing with counterparts.
The United States assumed responsibility for building the canal. and managing the area surrounding the corridor for decades. But the US government handed full control of the canal to Panama in 1999 after a period of joint management.
Panama Threat
Trump wrote in a post on the Truth Social website that the tariffs imposed by Panama are ridiculous, especially considering the exceptional generosity shown to it by the United States. /p>
He added: «It (control) was not granted for the benefit of others, but rather as a symbol of cooperation with us and with Panama. If the moral and legal principles of this generous gesture are not followed, we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us in full, without a doubt.
The Panamanian Embassy in Washington has not yet responded to the request. To comment.
- For more: Follow Khaleejion 24 Arabic, Khaleejion 24 English, Khaleejion 24 Live, and for social media follow us on Facebook and
