US President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to try to regain control of the Panama Canal, which was relinquished to Panama in 1999 under a treaty signed by President Jimmy Carter. The canal is crucial for Panama’s economy and generates about one-fifth of the government’s annual revenue.
Trump complained that the fees charged by Panama are “ridiculous” and have been treated unfairly by the US Navy and commerce. He vowed to stop these increases when he becomes president, but his plan was met with skepticism from Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino, who said that sovereignty over the canal is non-negotiable.
Mulino rejected Trump’s suggestion, stating that every square meter of the Panama Canal and its surroundings belongs to Panama. The US relinquished control of the waterway due to a treaty signed in 1977 under Jimmy Carter, which aimed to strengthen regional relations between the two countries.
The recent droughts in Central America have affected the canal’s operation, leading to increased fees for ship owners using the vital channel that links the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. With normal weather returning, transit on the canal has resumed, but price increases are still expected for next year.
Source: https://www.euronews.com/2024/12/23/all-10-passengers-killed-after-small-plane-crashes-into-house-in-southern-brazil