U.S. President-elect Donald Trump demanded over the weekend that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States if the country did not alter its management of the waterway. He said that current fees for use of the canal are “ridiculous” and a “complete rip-off.” Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino rebuffed Trump’s comments, saying the fees are not inflated and that the canal is Panama’s sovereign territory. (The Guardian)
Our Take
Trump’s threats against Panama, stated both in a social media post Saturday and a speech yesterday, are just the latest bellicose declarations he has made toward U.S. allies in the Americas since winning reelection last month. He has repeatedly threatened to impose blanket tariffs on exports from Canada and Mexico if they don’t crack down on migration and drug trafficking across their borders with the United States. And he has also suggested that Canada should become the 51st U.S. state, even taunting Canadian PM Justin Trudeau by calling him “Governor Trudeau” in repeated social media posts.