Panama’s president accused Donald Trump of lying to Congress after the U.S. leader reiterated his intention to take over the Panama Canal.
Trump told lawmakers in Washington on Tuesday that Panama had broken the agreements it made when it took over the waterway a quarter-century ago.
“Once again, President Trump lies,” President Jose Raul Mulino said in a post on X. “I reject, in the name of Panama and all Panamanians, this new affront to truth, and to the dignity of our nation.”
Mulino repeated that his government will not negotiate the return of the canal to U.S. control.
Trump has repeatedly accused Panama of allowing China to control the canal, without providing evidence that this is the case.
“The Panama Canal was built by Americans for Americans, not for others, but others could use it,” Trump said in his address to Congress. “That agreement has been violated very severely. We didn’t give it to China, we gave it to Panama, and we’re taking it back.”
Trump said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is responsible for reclaiming the canal for the U.S.
“We’re taking it back and we have Marco Rubio in charge,” Trump said. “Good luck Marco. Now we know who to blame if anything goes wrong.”
Mulino said his government did not discuss returning the canal to U.S. control during Rubio’s visit to the country last month.
“The Panama Canal is not going to be reclaimed, and that was definitely not the topic in our conversations with Secretary Rubio nor with anyone else,” Mulino said. “The canal is Panamanian and it will continue to be Panamanian.”
Two ports on both sides of the canal are operated by Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd, which agreed Tuesday to sell the ports to a consortium led by BlackRock Inc. Panama’s bonds extended their rally as one of the best performers in emerging markets on news of the deal.
“The President will continue to ensure that the Chinese government cannot be infiltrated in the Western Hemisphere and certainly not in the Panama Canal, which is a very important place for our country,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Wednesday.
