redstate.com By Bob Hoge
As we reported, Donald Trump has several times in recent days threatened to take the Panama Canal back into U.S. control because they’re ripping us off with “exorbitant prices and rates of passage” and are overly influenced by the Chinese.
Panamanian president José Raúl Mulino got wind of the idea and summarily rejected it in a video statement Sunday:
A short time after Trump’s [Sunday speech at AmFest], Mulino released a video declaring that “every square meter of the canal belongs to Panama and will continue to belong” to his country.
Without mentioning Trump by name, Mulino addressed the president-elect’s complaints over rising fees for ships crossing the canal, saying that they are set by experts who take into account operational costs, and supply and demand factors.
“The tariffs are not set on a whim” Mulino said. He noted that Panama has expanded the canal over the years to increase ship traffic “on its own initiative,” and added that shipping fee increases help pay for improvements.
“Panamanians may have different views on many issues” Mulino said. “But when it comes to our canal, and our sovereignty, we will all unite under our Panamanian flag.”
Watch:
🇺🇸⚡️🇵🇦 President of Panama José Raúl Mulino responds to Donald Trump threats about the Panama Canal
"Every square mile of the canal and adjoining areas will remain under Panama’s control.
The sovereignty & independence of our country is not negotiable."pic.twitter.com/NALy31hydW
— MenchOsint (@MenchOsint) December 22, 2024
Trump didn’t take that sitting down and posted to Truth Social Sunday afternoon. His message was simple: “We’ll see about that!”
We’ll see about that!
Donald Trump Truth Social 05:12 PM EST 12/22/24 pic.twitter.com/Vkp8r3iwJg
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) December 22, 2024
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