IMO Chief Arsenio Domínguez Affirms Panama Canal's Panamanian Control Amid Trump's Military Threats

Jan 14, 2025, 07:40 PM

The Panama Canal will remain under Panamanian control, according to Arsenio Domínguez, the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Domínguez, a Panamanian national, made these remarks in response to statements from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who has not ruled out using military force to seize the canal. Domínguez emphasized that the treaties signed in 1977 clearly established that the canal would be operated by Panama, and this status would continue. Trump's comments came after he expressed a desire to retake control of the canal if toll prices for U.S. ships were not reduced. Trump is set to be inaugurated on January 20. The canal, which was opened in 1914 and transferred to Panama in 1999, remains a vital waterway.