a minute agoThe minister of Panama answers Trump: The Channel will stand in our hands
Periskopi(a year ago)
(a year ago)Panama has insisted that its sovereignty over the channel is “incompatible” after United States President-elect Donald Trump refused to lift the Army's option to take control of the channel, reports the BBC. Trump made the statement during a media conference Tuesday, where he also declared [...]
Panama has insisted that its sovereignty over the channel is “incompatible” after United States President-elect Donald Trump refused to lift the Army's option to take control of the channel, reports the BBC.
Trump made the statement during a media conference Tuesday, where he also falsely claimed that the Panama Canal was managed by Chinese soldiers.
Panama Foreign Affairs Minister Javier Martínez-Acha responded by saying that the only “s that are managing the channel are of Panama's people and will continue to stand that way”.
The Panama Canal was managed by the United States for decades. But in the treaty signed by US President Jimmy Carter in 1977, he was handed over to Panama on December 31st 1999.
At the media conference in Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday, Trump named Carter's decision to hand over the channel as “the biggest mistakes”. He also expressed interest in buying Greenland's Arctic island, which is Denmark's self-government territory as well as the Panama Canal.
“I cannot secure in either of the options”, Trump said when asked whether he will remove the military option or the economic force to take Greenland and the Panama Canal.
Panama's Foreign Affairs Minister denied that his country had accepted any bids from the elected president.
The position of Trump today that he has spoken of a certain amount of money is not real. Let it be clear that no kind of offer has been made and that our channel's sovereignty is not negotiable and that it is part of the history of suffering and an irreversible matter”, Martínez-Acha said.
Panama President José Raúl Mulino has yet to respond directly to Trump's stance. But at a ceremony for the 25th anniversary of the canal's takeover on December 31st, he told the participants of the quiet “ ”. “Canal will stay under our control forever”, he said.
President Mulino in the past has appeared frustrated by Trump's statements that the channel is somehow under Chinese influence, saying “there are no Chinese soldiers in the channel, for God's sake”
His government also added that “through January 20th, the US is led by Joe Biden”. January 20th, we will deal with Mr. Trump and his government. Panama is open to co-operating and maintaining excellent relations with various governments”, said in response. /Time
