President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly suggested that the United States take over the Panama Canal, a shipping waterway that cuts through Central America, unless fees for using the canal are reduced.
Panama's leader hit back in a recent statement, saying the waterway is not for sale. Since then, Trump has posted repeatedly about the canal.
This is the latest in a series of similar statements from Trump, who recently suggested the United States capture greenlanda thought too Issued during his first presidencyHe also joked about Canada Being an American state,
Here's what you need to know about the history of the Panama Canal and the United States' involvement in the shipping lane.
History of the Panama Canal
The Panama Canal was built by the United States between 1904 and 1913, and opened in 1917. The canal cost approximately $375 million to construct, making it the most expensive construction project in American history at the time. panama canal authoritythousands workers died During the grueling construction process.
The canal connects the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, giving ships a shortcut to avoid going around the tip of South America. The canal revolutionized shipping traffic in the region.
The United States acquired the rights to build and operate the canal in the early 20th century, but at the time, Panama was in the process of separating from Colombia, whose Senate was refusing to ratify the treaty that would allow construction of the canal. Used to allow. till State Department Historian's Office,
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To ensure that the canal can be constructed, then-President Theodore Roosevelt Supported Panama's independence, and in 1903, the US and Panama signed a treaty that established permanent US rights over the “Panama Canal Zone”, spanning the entire country. However, according to the Office of the Historian, the man who negotiated on behalf of Panama did not have formal consent from the country's government and had not lived in the country for 17 years, leading many Panamanians to question the validity of the treaty.
Throughout the 20th century, the United States and Panama faced tensions over the canal, including a riot in the 1960s that led to a brief disruption of diplomatic relations between the two countries. In 1967, the U.S. and Panama began negotiations on a new treaty, which ultimately reached an agreement, but a change in elected leaders and a coup in Panama led to the establishment of a new government in the Central American nation, according to the Office of the Historian. Because of that, the talks “suffered a major setback.”
Negotiations continued until the 70s. When Jimmy Carter was elected president, he prioritized ending the negotiation process and in 1977, two treaties were presented to the U.S. Senate: The Neutrality Treaty, which stated that the U.S. could use its military to defend the canal , allowing “perpetual U.S. use of the waterway” and the Panama Canal Treaty, which would end the existence of the Panama Canal Zone and allow the canal to be handed over to Panama in December 1999. As part of the second treaty, Panama would also become primarily responsible for the defense of the canal.
The treaties are collectively known as Torrijos-Carter treatiesIt was signed on September 7, 1977. In the spring of 1978, the U.S. Senate voted to ratify the treaties, and Carter signed them into law on September 27, 1979. there was a canal transferred to panama On 31 December 1999, during the Clinton administration,
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Who operates the Panama Canal?
The Panama Canal has been owned and operated since 1999 by the Panama Canal Authority, a government-owned agency. This agency was established shortly before the canal returned to Panama.
Since taking control of the waterway, the Panama Canal Authority has invested billions in expanding the canal. A $5.25 billion expansion of the canal began in 2016, doubling the waterway's capacity and cutting global maritime costs by an estimated $8 billion per year. CBS News first reportedExpansion was also allowed large ships must pass,
Who uses the Panama Canal?
About 40% of the world's cargo ship traffic passes through the Panama Canal, CBS News first reportedHowever, recent drought has forced operators to reduce ship crossings.
According to the United States, about two-thirds of the traffic in the canal is either headed to or out of the United States, although ships from around the world use the waterway every day. panama canal authority,
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The agency said 13,000 to 14,000 ships use the canal each year.
Clash between Trump and President of Panama
Trump was the first to suggest that the United States should take over the Panama Canal satyasocial post On 21st December.
He also raised this issue in front of the crowd of supporters at the turning point. AmericaFest on Sunday, where he said Panama was charging “exorbitant prices” and that “the complete plundering of our country will stop immediately.”
Trump said, “If both the moral and legal principles of this generous gesture of giving are not followed, we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned completely, quickly and without question to the United States ”
Trump said on Wednesday he will enroll Kevin Marino Cabrera, a member of the Miami-Dade International Trade Consortium, will be the U.S. Ambassador to Panama. in that AnnouncementHe accused Panama of “snatching us over the Panama Canal, which was beyond even their wildest dreams.”
Trump continued to post online about the US regaining ownership of the canal and referenced the canal in a Christmas Day message shared on TruthSocial. He warned of China's potential influence on the shipping waterway, however, as there is no Chinese presence on the canal. reutersReuters said a Hong Kong-based company manages two ports along the canal.
Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino said in a Statement shared on social media That “every square meter” of the canal “belongs to Panama and will always belong to Panama.”
“we'll see about that!” trump written online In reply.