Panama commemorates canal handover despite Trump’s call for US control
Al Jazeera
President José Raúl Mulino offered a moment of silence for the late US leader Jimmy Carter, who helped engineer the canal’s return.
Top political leaders in Panama have held a ceremony to mark the 25th anniversary of the return of the Panama Canal after decades of United States control.
But the celebration took place under a pall, as US President-elect Donald Trump continued calls for his country to reassert dominance over the pivotal waterway, which connects the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea.
Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino, a right-leaning leader like Trump, was among the speakers at Tuesday’s main ceremony in the capital Panama City.
He reassured spectators that the Panama Canal would remain in his country’s possession, dismissing Trump’s remarks without mentioning the US leader by name.
“There are no hands involved in the canal other than Panama’s,” Mulino said. “Rest assured, it will be in our hands forever.”
