Quotes
The canal is and will remain Panama's,
President Jose Raul Mulino said in a statement published on social media
An invitation has been extended to the Secretary of State to visit our terminal facilities in Panama during his scheduled trip to the country,
Hutchison Ports spokesperson Anthony Tam said in an email to CNN.jpg)
Panamanian sovereignty over the canal is clear. There is no discussion on this issue. The soul of a country is not up for discussion,
Panama President José Raúl Mulino emphasized on Thursday, just days ahead of his scheduled meeting with Rubio
A foreign power today possesses, through their companies, which we know are not independent, the ability to turn the canal into a choke point in a moment of conflict,
Rubio himself insisted during his Senate confirmation hearings this monthPanama’s promise to us has been broken,
Trump said during his inaugural speechThat is a direct threat to the national interest and security of the United States,
he addedAnd if the government in China in a conflict tells them to shut down the Panama Canal, they will have to,
Rubio said
I would argue that the canal is already in the arms of the Chinese,
he said, expressing hope that the issue can be resolved soonThe only thing that I want is to clear all the garbage from the path, clean the table and be able to speak with the United States and very frankly” about issues including immigration, security and the fight against drug trafficking
Mulino said
It’s impossible, I can’t negotiate,
Mulino said when asked about returning the canal to U.S. controlI’m not going to commit to that.”
Asked earlier this month whether he would rule out the use of military force to achieve that aim, Trump told reporters
The Panama Canal is controlled by Panama, and its administration has always been in Panamanian hands,
he saidAmerican ships are being severely overcharged and not treated fairly in any way, shape or form, and that includes the United States Navy,
he saidThe treaties require that transit fees be ‘just, reasonable, equitable, and consistent with international law,"’ and that Panama maintain the canal’s permanent neutrality,
the memo said
About 5% of global maritime traffic passes through the Panama Canal, saving 6,835 miles off a journey that would otherwise require a long and dangerous trip skirting the southern tip of South America,
the memo statesChinese companies now operate ports at both ends of the canal. Chinese construction companies in 2018 funded a $1.4 billion bridge project spanning the canal,
it readsI cannot negotiate and much less open a process of negotiation on the canal,
Mulino saidI have received absolutely no information from the U.S. embassy in Panama ... nor from the Secretary of State, with whom we work together on migration issues, about the alleged military presence of another country in the canal,
Mulino added