US President-elect Donald Trump threatened to take control of the Panama Canal if necessary at his inauguration ceremony on Monday. On Tuesday, Panama lodged a formal complaint with the United Nations against Trump’s threat.
If Trump tries to seize the Panama Canal using force, especially military force, it will be contrary to decades of US policy. Fighting also goes against Trump’s personal policies. He has long opposed U.S. troops fighting in the Middle East. So suddenly, if he starts a major war for control of the Panama Canal, it may fail to garner public support.
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter (1977-81) initiated the transfer of the Panama Canal to the Panamanian government. The Panama Canal Treaty passed the U.S. Senate in 1978. Jimmy Carter managed to get more than two-thirds of the Senate votes in favor of the deal.
Jimmy Carter thought it was fair to return the Panama Canal to the Panamanian government. Since Washington had pursued a semi-colonial policy in Central America until then, Jimmy Carter’s return of the Panama Canal was supposed to be the beginning of a new era for the United States in the region.
In addition to saying that Jimmy Carter signed the Panama Canal Treaty, it is also worth mentioning that the presidents of both parties in the United States have subsequently abided by the terms of the agreement. These presidents include Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. In the middle of Bill Clinton’s second term, on December 31, 1999, the management of the Panama Canal was completely handed over to the Panamanian government.
Since then, there have been no problems with the operation of the Panama Canal. According to the U.S. International Trade Administration, more than two-thirds of ships that travel to U.S. ports use the Panama Canal.
“As president, I want to emphasize that Panama owns every square meter of land in and around the Panama Canal, and Panama will continue to do so in the future,” Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino said in a statement in response to Trump’s comments in December about control of the Panama Canal. ’
In a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday, the UN said, “We are concerned by Trump’s threats. The UN declaration states that “force shall not be used or threatened against the political independence or territorial integrity of another country.” ’