Para versión en español, haga click aqui
President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that the United States should retake control of the Panama Canal. This has generated diplomatic tension and a strong response from the Panamanian people and experts in the region.
The statement revives ghosts of the past and is considered by many to be a direct threat to national sovereignty.
The canal has been under Panamanian administration since 1999, following the Torrijos-Carter Treaty. It is a symbol of national pride and a strategic pillar for the country’s economy. Currently, its operation is governed by the Neutrality Treaty, which guarantees equal access to all nations and prohibits any type of discrimination in its use.
A Caplin News team recently visited Panama to discuss these issues with national political analysts and Panamanian citizens.
“He can give his opinion or instruct, but he can’t say he’s going to take the canal away from us,” said citizen Javier Padilla. “As a Panamanian, I feel that’s wrong.”
Other citizens also staunchly defended national sovereignty. “In Panama, we have qualified people, and it is a sovereign country where the martyrs fought for our canal, so it wouldn’t be easily handed over to another country,” said Yeritza Díaz.
Jaime Troyano, a historian of the Panama Canal, said: “The Neutrality Treaty establishes that the canal must remain open to all nations, without discrimination, and that Panama is the one who administers it.”
From a legal perspective, experts such as Alfredo Castillero Hoyos, a political scientist at the Centro Internacional de Estudios Politicos y Sociales, assert that a US takeover would have no basis in international law. “It would only be a forced takeover,” he warned.
Claire Nevache, also a researcher at CIEPS, maintained that sovereignty is non-negotiable. “Borders are a sacred concept; they cannot be renegotiated as if they were simple trade agreements,” she stated.
Despite the pride the canal represents, some citizens express that its benefits are not reflected in daily life. “The millionaires are lining their pockets, and how are we doing?” Padilla asked again.
Parallel to this international controversy, Panama is experiencing a period of internal tension, with protests demanding social reforms and a memorandum authorizing a greater US military presence in the country. The combination of these factors has increased uncertainty about the region’s geopolitical future.
