Colombian President Gustavo Petro has voiced strong support for Panama’s independence and sovereignty following US President-elect Donald Trump’s remarks suggesting the return of the Panama Canal to American ownership due to high passage fees.
Trump stated on Sunday that he would demand the canal’s quick return to the US, emphasizing its critical role in US trade and military operations, as well as the fact that the US is the largest user, accounting for over 72% of all passage through it.
In response, President Petro pledged his support for Panama’s sovereignty, stating, “I will be on the side of Panama and the defense of its sovereignty… If the new US administration wants to talk business, we will talk business face to face and for the good of our people, but we will never negotiate honor and dignity,” on the social media platform X.
Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino also firmly rejected Trump’s remarks, asserting that Panama’s sovereignty over the canal is non-negotiable and reaffirming that the canal remains fully under Panama’s control as per the 1977 treaty. The Panama Canal, an artificial waterway that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, is of significant international strategic and economic importance.
