According to a report by the US newspaper Politico, Panama may consider taking the dispute with Donald Trump over the Panama Canal to the United Nations Security Council. Citing a former Panamanian president, Ernesto Pérez Balladares, the article states that the current Panamanian president, José Raúl Mulino, mentioned this possibility in a private conversation. If Trump, after taking office, continues to threaten Panama and refuses to back down, the country would reportedly take the matter to the highest UN body.
Balladares, in a quote, said, “As everyone in this country is, he’s very surprised.”
The former president reportedly claimed that his successor articulated this possibility on Wednesday during an event at the Presidential Palace.
On Thursday, Mulino publicly stated that Panama is a 100% sovereign country and that the canal between the Caribbean and the Pacific will remain Panama’s in the future. Foreign Minister Javier Martínez Acha also emphasized that the Panama Canal is not for sale. “The canal, which is a treasure of the Panamanians, successfully serves the whole international community – and, above all, the United States” he said.
Currently, the United States are the main users of the approximately 82-kilometer-long artificial waterway, with 74% of the cargo transported over it coming from the US, followed by China with 21%. The elected US president, however, believes that the Panama Canal is controlled by China and is critical of the usage fees, which he considers too high. To regain control over the canal, the Republican candidate does not rule out a military approach.