‘Canal is Panamanian’: Panama’s president rejects Trump threats

Jose Raul Mulino rejects imaginable of talks with Donald Trump, who threatened US could retake power of Panama Canal.

The Panamanian president has rejected threats by US President-elect Donald Trump that the United States could reassert power implicit the Panama Canal, saying “there’s thing to speech about.”

President Jose Raul Mulino connected Thursday besides rejected the anticipation of reducing canal tolls for US vessels and denied that China had immoderate power implicit the captious waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

“If determination is an volition to talk, past there’s thing to speech about,” Mulino said during a play quality conference.

“The canal is Panamanian and belongs to Panamanians. There’s nary anticipation of opening immoderate benignant of speech astir this reality, which has outgo the state blood, sweat and tears.”

The president’s comments travel days aft Trump, who takes bureau adjacent month, threatened to instrumentality backmost control of the Panama Canal implicit what helium said were “ridiculous” fees being charged by the Panamanian authorities.

The US exerted administrative power of the canal for decades earlier handing it to Panama successful 1999.

In a bid of societal media posts implicit the past week, Trump accused the Central American country, with whom Washington has had diplomatic relations since 1903, of “ripping off” the US connected the Panama Canal.

“Our Navy and Commerce person been treated successful a precise unfair and injudicious way,” Trump wrote connected his Truth Social level connected Saturday.

“The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous, particularly knowing the bonzer generosity that has been bestowed to Panama by the US. This implicit ‘rip-off’ of our Country volition instantly stop.”

Trump besides claimed that Chinese soldiers were “lovingly, but illegally, operating the Panama Canal”.

That assertion was rejected connected Thursday by the Panamanian president, who said China has nary relation successful the medication of the canal.

“There are nary Chinese soldiers successful the canal for the emotion of God, the satellite is escaped to sojourn the canal,” Mulino told reporters.

China does not power oregon administer the canal, but a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings has agelong managed 2 ports located connected the canal’s Caribbean and Pacific entrances.

Meanwhile, Trump connected Wednesday named Miami-Dade County Commissioner Kevin Marino Cabrera arsenic his envoy to Panama.

Describing Cabrera arsenic “a fierce combatant for America First principles”, Trump said successful a societal media station that helium “will bash a FANTASTIC occupation representing our Nation’s interests successful Panama!”

Earlier this week, dozens of demonstrators gathered extracurricular the US embassy successful Panama City successful choler implicit Trump’s Panama Canal comments.

The protesters chanted “Trump, animal, permission the canal alone!” and burned a representation of the incoming US president.

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies