Panama sent a formal letter to UN Secretary General António Guterres and the UN Security Council on Monday, rejecting the words that President Trump made about withdrawing the Panama Canal during his opening speech.
“We didn’t give it to China,” Trump said after making the pledge. “We gave it to Panama, and we gave it back.”
The letter, dated January 20 and seen by the New York Times, attached a statement from President José Raúl Mulino of Panama saying on behalf of his country and people, “I must not Acknowledge all the comments from President Donald Trump about Panama and his canal in his inaugural address.
Mulino said, “the canal is and will continue to be Panama.”
The letter cited two articles of the UN Charter that prohibit member states from using threats and force against “territorial integrity or political freedom,” calling for these actions are inconsistent with the purpose of the United Nations, and that Mr. Trump’s comments violated the UN. legislation.
Panama has not asked the Security Council to discuss the issue, but experts have said that if there is a crisis between the United States and Panama, then it is possible that the Council can schedule a meeting.
The United States is among the five veto-holding members of the council.
Beginning last year, President Trump has repeatedly targeted Panama, denying that Panama has decided to control the canal to China and that the United States should return the vote.
These claims have been repeatedly opposed by President Mulino, who said, after Mr. Trump raised the canal in one word In late December, “every square meter of the Panama Canal and its adjacent areas is part of Panama, and it will continue to be.”
He added at the time: “Our country’s nationalism and freedom cannot be discussed.”
The canal was built by the United States in the early 20th century, but after long negotiations in the 1970s, the United States agreed to provide Full control of Panama in 1999. Since then, Panama has overseen the canal through the Panama Canal Authority, which completed the expansion of the canal in 2016 to accommodate larger ships.
Trump has not backed down on his claims. This month, in a long speech he gave at Mar-a-Lago, his estate in Florida, he refused to rule out using the military to control the canal. “It will be if you have to do something,” Mr. Trump said.
Statement Panamanians are not satisfiedmany people forget only one time when the United States controlled the canal and the surrounding area, called the Canal Zone, but also remember when the US military invaded Panama in 1989 to remove left the regime of Manuel Noriega.
Raúl Arias de Para, an ecotourism entrepreneur and descendant of Panama’s founder, said “That is not an intervention to be a region or to be a region.” “It freed us from law enforcement.”
On Monday, Mr. Mulino was quick to criticize the American president for his speech.
“Discussion is always the way to clarify the terms that have been proposed without affecting our rights, overall control and ownership of our channel,” Mr. . Mulino said in his speech, that is. to X on Monday afternoon.
However, later on Monday, the Panamanian inspector’s office announced that inspectors visited the city’s maritime authorities to begin an inspection of the Panama Ports Company, Hutchison Ports Holding offices. The company is the main port owner and the country’s main port. It is also part of CK Hutchison Holdings, a Hong Kong corporation.
“The purpose of this overall review is to ensure the efficiency and use of public resources,” the inspector’s office. said.
President Trump’s remarks at the start of his speech seemed to spark tension with Mr. Mulino, who since taking office last year has expressed his willingness to help the United States limit immigration to the United States.
At the Darién Gap, the number of migrants is down from last year, after Panama announced stricter restrictions to fulfill the Biden administration’s new immigration policy. In August 2023, a record 80,000 migrants pass through the Darién Gap in one month. In December, Panamanian officials reported that just under 5,000 people had crossed over.
Emiliano Rodríguez Mega help guide from Mexico City as well Julie Turkewitz from Bogotá.