The Panama channel is controlled by Panama, and its administration was always in Panama hands – said President Panama Jose Raul Mulino on Thursday. He added that he could not “open the negotiation process” regarding the crossing, rejecting the claim of US President Donald Trump.
President Donald Trump Recently, he has recently raised the postulate of changing the managing the Panama Canal. In the inaugural speech, he expressed claims to this water trail, which connects the Atlantic with the Pacific, announcing his “reception” and determining the transfer of supremacy over him Panama as a “stupid gift”. In many other statements, he accused the Panama authorities that they gave up China control over the crossing. Panama's government strongly denies these accusations.
“I can't negotiate, let alone open the negotiation process in the channel,” said President Panama Jose Raul Mulino during a weekly conference. – This is a foregone conclusion. The channel belongs to Panama – he emphasized, categorically excluding any conversations about changing the status of the channel.
>> Read more in Premium: Did the Panama channel take over the Chinese? And do the US have the right to “pick him up”?
President Panama Jose Raul MulinoPAP/EPA/CARLOS LEMO
“The Panama channel is controlled by Panama”
The leader also referred to the opinion of Trump, who said that China had soldiers in the channel, but not presenting evidence.
Mulino emphasized that he did not get “any information from the US embassy in Panama, or from the secretary of state about the military presence of another country in the channel.” And he added: – The Panama channel is controlled by Panama, and its administration was always in the Panama hands.
Rubio will come to Panama
The president's statement was said shortly before the planned visit to Panama, the American Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Mulino said that “he has many other issues to discuss with Rubio, such as migration and drug trafficking.”
This week, the new head of American diplomacy is to start the first foreign journey from the time he took office last week. He will visit five Central American countries, and Panama will be the first stage of the journey. Neither the exact date of the start of the journey or its detailed schedule has been given.
Rubio, which is the first Latinos as the head of the US diplomacy, to Panama is also to go to GuatemalaSalvador, Dominican and Costa Rica.
Marco RubioJim LO SCALZO/PAP/EPA
Source of the main photo: PAP/EPA/CARLOS LEMO