“The sovereignty of our channel is non-negotiable,” Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha told a news conference.
“The only hands that control the canal are Panamanian and will remain so,” Martínez-Acha said, stressing that the Panama Canal serves humanity and world trade.
In December, Trump said the Panama Canal transit fees were grossly unfair and called for control of the waterway to return to the United States if it was not managed fairly.
The Republican, who returns to the White House on Jan. 20, told reporters Tuesday at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida that he is not ruling out military action to seize control of the Panama Canal.
When asked by reporters if he could assure the world that he would not resort to military or economic force, Trump replied:
“No. I will not commit to that now. Maybe, maybe something will have to be done,” the future president added.
“The Panama Canal is vital to our country. It is operated by China,” Trump complained.
The Panama Canal is one of the world’s most important trade routes, and the USA built it at the beginning of the 20th century. The American administration gradually handed it over to Panama. The fees charged by Panama are considered to be in line with market rates as they are based on the size and weight of ships passing through the Panama Canal.
(Vijesti.ba / HINA)
