by Admin
07/03/2025
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino has strongly rebuked U.S. President Donald Trump for claiming that the United States is “reclaiming” the Panama Canal, calling the assertion a falsehood and an affront to Panama’s sovereignty.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, Mulino dismissed President Trump’s remarks, stating that the waterway, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, “is not in the process of recovery” by the United States government.
He wrote that“Once again, President Trump is lying, I reject, on behalf of Panama and all Panamanians, this new affront to the truth and our dignity as a nation.”
President Trump’s controversial statement came during his annual address to Congress on Tuesday. In it, he declared that Washington was taking back the canal to strengthen U.S. national security.
“We’ve already started doing it. We’re taking it back,” President Trump said.
He was referring to a deal announced on Tuesday, in which a consortium led by the United States investment firm BlackRock Inc. agreed to acquire a controlling stake in a company previously owned by a Chinese group that operates ports at both ends of the canal.
According to regulatory filings, Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings is set to sell its entire stake in Hutchison Port Holdings and Hutchison Port Group Holdings to BlackRock for nearly $23 billion, including $5 billion in debt. However, the deal still requires approval from the Panamanian government.
Despite Trump’s claims, Panama insists it retains full control over the canal and that the sale of port operations does not equate to the U.S. reclaiming the waterway.
The Hong Kong-based group’s involvement in managing the ports at the canal’s entrances never constituted Chinese control over the canal itself, according to Panamanian officials.
Since his campaign, President Trump has repeatedly argued that the United States should never have relinquished control of the canal and has accused Panama of overcharging the U.S. for its use.
Upon returning to office, President Trump has further escalated his rhetoric, alleging that China exerts influence over canal operations, a claim Panama and China have both denied.
In February, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with President Mulino and insisted that China was manipulating canal operations to serve its interests.
Panama rejected this assertion, maintaining that the canal operated independently and without foreign interference.
The Panama Canal was built by the United States in the early 1900s to facilitate commercial and military shipping between the country’s east and west coasts.
However, under the terms of a 1977 treaty signed by United States President Jimmy Carter, Washington officially transferred control of the canal to Panama on December 31, 1999.
President Trump has frequently criticized this decision, claiming Carter “foolishly” gave the canal away.
His latest remarks suggest that his administration may be seeking a more assertive role in Panama’s strategic waterway, though how far the U.S. intends to go remains unclear.
For now, the Panamanian government remains firm in its stance: the canal belongs to Panama, and no foreign power is reclaiming it.