Panama recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of the return of the Panama Canal from US control, with top political leaders in attendance. However, the ceremony was overshadowed by US President-elect Donald Trump’s calls for the US to reassert dominance over the canal. Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino assured that the canal would remain in Panama’s possession, dismissing Trump’s remarks without naming him. Trump has expressed desire for US governance over the canal as part of his expansionist rhetoric, alarming observers with threats to potentially wrest the canal back from Panama’s control.
Trump accused Panamanian officials of charging exorbitant prices for passage through the canal in a post on his online platform Truth Social. The canal allows cargo ships to pass between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans without navigating around South America. Trump alleged that Panama was violating a 1977 agreement that established conditions for the canal to shift from US to Panamanian hands. He warned that if the principles of the agreement were not followed, the US would demand the canal’s return without question. The canal has faced challenges like increased traffic and a severe drought that disrupted travel through its locks.
The construction of the Panama Canal through the isthmus of Panama had been an ambition of Western colonial powers. The US made overtures to construct the canal in Panama, leading to the country’s secession from Colombia. Panama granted the US rights to build the canal and oversee the surrounding land in exchange for support. Critics saw this agreement as a violation of Panama’s sovereignty until 1977, when then-US President Jimmy Carter signed treaties to return the canal and its lands. The transfer of the canal to Panama took place on December 31, 1999, marking the canal’s 25th anniversary.
The celebrations also remembered the protesters who died advocating for the canal’s return to Panamanian control, including the participants killed in the Martyrs Day protest in 1964. Trump has accused Panama of violating the terms of the canal’s return by allowing Chinese soldiers to operate the route, which Panama denies. Former canal administrator Jorge Luis Quijano stated that there is no legal basis for Trump’s claims and no clause in the neutrality agreement that permits the US to take back the canal. The anniversary celebration was held with a mix of happiness for Panama’s ownership of the canal and sadness over Carter’s recent death.
In conclusion, the 25th anniversary of the Panama Canal’s return to Panama was commemorated amid concerns raised by US President-elect Trump regarding reasserting American dominance over the waterway. Despite assurances from Panamanian President Mulino that the canal will remain in Panama’s hands, Trump’s threats have caused alarm among observers. The history of the canal’s construction and transfer from US to Panamanian control in 1999 was revisited during the anniversary celebrations, along with a tribute to the martyrs who advocated for the canal’s return. The ongoing dispute over the canal’s ownership and its significance as a vital waterway connecting the Pacific to the Atlantic has underscored geopolitical tensions between the US and Panama.
