Demonstrators in Panama on Tuesday protested against US President-elect Donald Trump’s suggestion that the US government could retake the Panama Canal.
Trump had complained about what he referred to as “exorbitant” shipping fees, demanding the canal be “returned” to US control if they are not reduced.
What do we know about the protests?
Dozens of protesters gathered outside the US embassy in Panama and chanted slogans such as “Trump, animal, leave the canal alone,” carrying banners reading “Donald Trump, public enemy of Panama.”
The United States largely built the Panama Canal and administered its territory for decades before transferring complete control to Panama in 1999.
“Panama is a sovereign territory and the canal here is Panamanian,” Saul Mendez, the leader of a construction union that jointly organized the protest, was cited by France’s AFP news agency as saying.
“Donald Trump and his imperial delusion cannot claim even a single centimeter of land in Panama,” Mendez said.
The protest comes a day after President Jose Raul Mulino said “every square meter” of the canal belongs to Panama and its status was “non-negotiable.”
Also on Tuesday, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA), which is made up of ten Central and South American countries, denounced Trump’s comments and affirmed its support for Panama’s “sovereignty, territorial integrity and self-determination.”
Panama is not a member of the bloc, which is based in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.
What did Trump say about the Panama Canal?
On Saturday, Trump insisted in a post on his Truth Social platform that Panama reduce shipping fees or return the canal to the US.
“Our Navy and Commerce have been treated in a very unfair and injudicious way. The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous,” the post read.
Panama charges tariffs for boats and ships using its canal, with fees varying by size and purpose.
Trump also warned against alleged Chinese influence around the canal.
On Monday, Greenland said it was “not for sale” after Trump suggested that Washington could take “ownership and control” of the island.
sdi/wd (AFP, EFE)
