‘Nonsense’: Panamanian president dismisses Trump claims China controls Panama Canal
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President-elect escalates threats against Panama, falsely claiming Chinese soldiers are controlling the canal. President José Raúl Mulino of Panama brushed off U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s baseless claim that Chinese soldiers are “operating the Panama Canal,” calling it “nonsense.”.
“There are no Chinese soldiers in the canal. For the love of God, you are free, the whole world is free, to visit the canal if you please,” Mulinto said in a translated speech. “What [Trump] has said on this issue is nonsense, it does not exist,” he added.
Mulina said after those threats: “The sovereignty and independence of our country are not negotiable.”. The president-elect’s attack on the canal is the latest in his series of complaints about other countries and their relationship with America. Trump has attacked Mexico and Canada for what he believes are unfair trade practices and harmful border policies. He has mocked Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and said he’d make Canada the 51st state. He has also lambasted the European Union for selling more products to the U.S. than buying from the nation.
Trump floated the idea of buying Denmark – a country not for sale – during his first administration. In a Truth Social post last Sunday he insisted that American “ownership and control” of Greenland is an “absolute necessity” for world “security” and “freedom.”.
As for the Panama Canal, Mulino denied U.S. vessels are being overcharged to use the waterway and emphasized that China plays no role in the canal. A Hong Kong-based firm manages two ports at the Panama Canal’s entrances, but Panama owns and operates the entire canal.
