I will be at the side of Panama and the defense of its sovereignty: Petro on support for Mulino through the Panama Canal

The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, sent his support to the Panamanian president, José Raúl Mulino, in the face of the threat of the president-elect of the United States, Republican Donald Trump, that he will demand the return of the Panama Canal if the rates charged for its transit are not reduced.

“Until the last consequences I will be at Panama’s side and the defense of its sovereignty. If the new US government wants to talk about business, we will talk about business, face to face, and for the benefit of our people, but dignity will never be negotiated,” Petro wrote in his X account.

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Petro assured that Trump “has made mistakes and contradicted himself,” since this measure will increase migration to the United States “by millions.” “If it seems expensive to pay to pass the Panama Canal in the hands of Panamanians, it will be much more expensive to sink PanamaSouth America, Central America or Mexico in poverty,” argued the Colombian.

“If they don’t want us in the US, We must make all the Americas prosperous in independencefreedom and democratic dignity,” concluded Petro.

The controversy with the channel

The Panama Canal was built by the United States, which inaugurated it in 1914 and administered it until its transfer to the Panamanian State on December 31, 1999, as was established in the Torrijos-Carter Treaties signed on September 7, 1977 in Washington by the then presidents, the Panamanian Omar Torrijos and the American Jimmy Carter.

Trump, who will take office on January 20, complained on Saturday and also this Sunday about the “exorbitant” tariffs and the management of the Panama Canal, and threatened to demand his “return” if the principles are not respected “moral and legal.”

He also criticized former President Jimmy Carter, who “he foolishly gave it (the channel) away for a dollar, during his mandate,” and once again claimed that China has interference in the administration of the waterway, of which the United States is the main user.

Faced with this onslaught, Mulino spoke out today, assuring that “every square meter of the Panama Canal and its adjacent areas belongs to Panama and will continue to be so. The sovereignty and independence of our country are not negotiable.”

The route that connects the Atlantic and the Pacific and through which nearly 3% of world trade passes, is part of Panama’s “history of struggle and irreversible conquest,” said the president.

Mulino, who assumed the Presidency on July 1 for the five-year period 2024-2029, highlighted that “Since it is in Panamanian hands, the channel has grown and is managed by qualified professionals.who with clear rules are in charge of its operation, conservation and maintenance, ensuring its safe, continuous, efficient and profitable operation.

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“The rates are not a whim, they are established publicly and in an open audience, considering market conditions, international competition, operating costs and maintenance needs and modernization of the interoceanic highway,” said the Panamanian.

The Panama Canal, which faced a serious drought that forced it to restrict the passage of ships for months, delivered this week to the treasury a contribution of $2,470.7 million corresponding to fiscal year 2024.

Mulino also asserted that “the channel has no direct or indirect control from China, the European Community, the United States or any other power.”