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Trump Accuses Panama of 'Ripping Us Off', Threatens Canal Takeover; Protests Erupt, Mulino Denies Chinese Involvement

Dec 25, 2024, 09:10 PM

Amid escalating tensions, President-elect Donald Trump has suggested that the United States might retake control of the Panama Canal if Panama does not reduce transit fees for U.S. ships, accusing the country of 'ripping us off on the Panama Canal, far beyond their wildest dreams.' Trump also hinted at concerns over Chinese involvement in the canal, which Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino vehemently denied, stating there is 'absolutely no Chinese involvement or participation' in the waterway. Trump's remarks sparked widespread protests in Panama, with workers' unions and citizens gathering outside the U.S. embassy in Panama City, burning images of Trump and rejecting what they called 'imperialist claims' by the United States. The protesters defended their country's sovereignty over the interoceanic canal, which was handed over to Panama under the Carter–Torrijos Treaty of 1977. Amid the controversy, Trump announced the nomination of Miami-Dade County Commissioner Kevin Marino Cabrera as the next U.S. ambassador to Panama, describing him as a 'fierce fighter for America First principles.'