Colombian President Gustavo Petro has slammed Donald Trump’s proposal to retake the Panama Canal.
Petro, a former Marxist guerilla and vocal supporter of Joe Biden, wrote in a publish on the X platform that the variety of unlawful migrants crossing heading to the southern border would enhance by “hundreds of thousands” until Trump acknowledged the canal belongs to Panama.
He wrote:
Till the final penalties I will probably be on the facet of Panama and the protection of its sovereignty.
If the brand new US authorities desires to speak enterprise, we are going to speak enterprise, head to head, and for the good thing about our folks, however dignity won’t ever be negotiated.
President Trump has made a mistake and contradicted himself. If he doesn’t need myriads crossing the Darien, elevated by hundreds of thousands from Panama to Mexico, he should perceive that it’ll rely upon the prosperity and freedom of our peoples.
If it appears costly to pay to go the Panama Canal into the palms of Panamanians, will probably be rather more costly to plunge Panama, South America, Central America or Mexico into poverty.
In the event that they don’t need us within the US, we should make the entire Americas affluent in independence, freedom and democratic dignity.
Hasta las últimas consecuencias estaré al lado de Panamá y la defensa de su soberanía.
Si el nuevo gobierno de EEUU quiere hablar de negocios, hablaremos de negocios, de tú a tú, y en beneficio de nuestros pueblos, pero jamás, se negociará la dignidad.
El presidente Trump se ha…
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) December 22, 2024
Panama and Colombia share a harmful and uninhabited border referred to as the Darien Hole. Thousands and thousands of migrants, significantly from Colombia and Venezuela, have used the Darien Gap to journey north by means of Central America after which enter the USA illegally.
The Panama Canal was constructed by the U.S. in 1914 and remained beneath its management till 1999 after former President Jimmy Carter agreed a deal wherein it might be handed over to Panama.
Nevertheless, the incoming president has made the case that Panama is now charging America exorbitant charges and permitting China to develop its affect over the canal’s operations.
“When President Jimmy Carter foolishly gave it away, for One Greenback, throughout his time period in Workplace, it was solely for Panama to handle, not China, or anybody else,” Trump wrote in a publish on Fact Social on Saturday.
“It was likewise not given for Panama to cost the USA, its Navy, and companies, doing enterprise inside our Nation, exorbitant costs and charges of passage.”
“Our Navy and Commerce have been handled in a really unfair and injudicious manner. The charges being charged by Panama are ridiculous, particularly figuring out the extraordinary generosity that has been bestowed to Panama by the U.S. This entire ‘rip-off’ of our Nation will instantly cease,” he continued.
In the meantime, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino stated in a video posted to social media that “each sq. meter of the Panama Canal and its adjoining space belongs to Panama and can proceed to belong to Panama” and that the phrases of the earlier deal are “irreversible.”
Mensaje del Presidente José Raúl Mulino pic.twitter.com/DMXU8qAuNT
— José Raúl Mulino (@JoseRaulMulino) December 22, 2024
“We’ll see about that!” Trump responded.