Panama Canal will 'remain' Panamanian – UN maritime chief

Panama Canal will ‘remain’ Panamanian – UN maritime chief

/ 01:35 PM January 16, 2025

Panama Canal will 'remain' Panamanian – UN maritime chief

Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Arsenio Dominguez poses for a portrait after delivering a speech at the IMO Headquarters, in London, on January 14, 2025. Agence France-Presse

LONDON — The Panama Canal will remain Panamanian, the secretary general of the United Nation’s maritime body told AFP on Tuesday, after Donald Trump refused to rule out using military force to seize the key waterway.

“For me it is very clear and it is not a subject of great discussion, because the treaties were signed in 1977. The canal passed into the hands of Panama, which continues to manage this vital waterway, and will continue to do so,” said Arsenio Dominguez, head of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

Article continues after this advertisement

US president-elect Trump, who will return to the White House on January 20, caused shockwaves when asked about the canal last week.

FEATURED STORIES

READ: Panama Canal CEO says Trump’s plans would ‘lead to chaos’

He said he was “not going to commit to that (no military action). It might be that you have to do something.”

Article continues after this advertisement

The United States built, owned and operated the Central American canal until the late US president Jimmy Carter struck a deal in the 1970s to gradually hand over control of the vital transport route to the Panamanian authorities.

Article continues after this advertisement

Panama responded to Trump’s comments by saying the sovereignty of its interoceanic canal was non-negotiable.

Article continues after this advertisement

READ: Panama tells Trump that canal sovereignty non-negotiable

“The sovereignty of our canal is not negotiable and is part of our history of struggle,” Foreign Minister Javier Martinez-Acha said.

Article continues after this advertisement

President Jose Raul Mulino has refused to entertain negotiations over its control.

Trump has also ruffled European feathers with similar comments about Greenland.

Denmark — which Greenland is an autonomous territory of — is a US ally and a fellow member of NATO, another target of Trump’s ire as he demanded that nations in the western alliance boost their defence spending.

In addition to its strategic location, Greenland, which is seeking independence from Denmark, holds massive untapped mineral and oil reserves, although oil and uranium exploration are banned.

Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen later said she had reached out to Trump following his remarks, which Denmark said were being taken seriously.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

Trump first claimed that he wanted to buy Greenland in 2019 during his first term as president — an offer swiftly rebuffed by Greenland and Denmark.

TAGS: Donald Trump, Panama

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2025 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved
News Hub