Panama President Mulino says Trump ‘lying’ about reclaiming the canal

When Congress heard that the United States is “reclaiming” the Panama Canal, President Jose Raul Mulino accused his American counterpart, Donald Trump, of lying.

Mulino claimed that Trump and the US government are not currently working on a plan to restore the man-made waterway that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans in a statement posted on X on Wednesday.

President Trump is lying once more, Mulino wrote on X.

“I reject this new affront to the truth and our dignity as a nation in the name of Panama and all of Panamanians,” Mulino continued.

Trump stated that Washington would “further enhance” US national security during his annual address to the US Congress on Tuesday.

“We’ve already started,” he said. We’re returning it, ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” “

He made reference to a consortium’s announcement on Tuesday to acquire a controlling stake in the US-based operation run by a Chinese company that runs ports on both ends of one of the world’s busiest water channels.

In a deal worth nearly $ 23 billion, including $5 billion in debt, CK Hutchison Holding announced in a filing that it would sell all shares of Hutchison Port Holdings and Hutchison Port Group Holdings to BlackRock.

The government of Panama must approve the agreement.

Trump has been discussing taking back control of the Panama Canal since his campaign, claiming that the US was being overcharged for using it.

He has also begun to complain that China controls the canal and does not support a military invasion to retake control of it since coming back to the White House.

Panama maintains that it has complete control over the canal and that the Hong Kong-based group’s port operations did not amount to Chinese maritime control, so the private sale to a US-based company would not result in any US “reclaiming” of the canal.

Mulino and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met in February and asserted that China was having an impact on the operation of the canal.

Panama disputed China’s claim that it controlled canal operations. Beijing has also consistently denied entering the canal.

In an effort to facilitate the passage of commercial and military vessels between its coasts, the US constructed the canal in the early 1900s.

In accordance with a 1977 treaty signed by President Jimmy Carter, Washington gave control of the waterway to Panama on December 31, 1999. Trump has alleged that Carter “foolishly” gave the canal away.