“On behalf of the Republic of Panama and its people, I must completely reject the words set forth by President Donald Trump in his inauguration speech regarding Panama and its canal. I repeat: The canal belongs and will continue to belong to Panama, its administration will continue to be under Panamanian control in accordance with the permanent neutrality,” he said in a statement posted to X.
“There is no country in the world that interferes in the management of the canal,” the Panamanian president went on to say.
The canal was not a “concession to anyone,” according to the official, TASS reported.
“It was the result of a generations of struggle that culminated in the Torrijos-Carter treaties of 1999, and from then until now, for 25 years, we have been managing and expanding it nonstop, responsibly serving the world and global trade, including the United States,” he said.
According to Mulino, he intends to defend the right to the canal in accordance with international law. He insisted that dialogue is the best way to resolve issues of contention without compromising “Panama’s sovereignty and its full right to the canal.”
MP/