03:22 PM
Tuesday, January 21, 2025
Written by Salma Samir:
In his first statements after officially assuming office, US President Donald Trump revealed the desire of the United States of America to control the Panama Water Canal, in a statement confirming his previous statements about restoring water sovereignty over the canal.
“Unfair and subject to Beijing’s control,” came Trump’s comment, while justifying his statements about controlling Panama, claiming during his inauguration speech yesterday that the canal is under Chinese management, as he described it, and that the customs duties imposed on American ships passing through the canal are “excessive.”
Trump said that China has now taken control of the canal, which is now under its control, and has in turn moved to impose “unfair” fees on American ships. These statements constitute a threat to some Panamanians who fear losing national sovereignty over the canal, according to the Associated Press.
According to the Associated Press, people in Panama link Trump’s statements with an attempt to pressure the Panamanian government to achieve other goals, such as improving control over immigration through the Darien Corridor, in addition to the possibility of opening an old file related to American military intervention in Panama.
For his part, Panamanian President Jose Raul Molino commented on Trump’s statements, saying, “The Panama Canal will remain under full national sovereignty, and will not be the subject of any change in the future.”
In addition, the director of the Panama Canal, Ricaurte Vasquez, responded to Trump’s statements, explaining that China does not control the canal, and that all countries deal with the canal according to the same international standards under the Neutrality Treaty.
The canal director confirmed that Chinese companies operating in the ports on both sides of the canal follow the same rules as American and Taiwanese companies.
What is the Panama Canal?
Since its opening in 1914, the Panama Canal has been a vital artery of global trade, providing a massive shortcut to ship journeys between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, bypassing the long route around South America.
The Panama Canal extends 82 kilometers in length, and its width ranges between 150 and 300 meters, with an average depth of 13 meters in the Gayard area. The canal connects the two oceans, which significantly reduces the time and cost of sea journeys, as it plays a pivotal role in facilitating the movement of global trade.
The idea of constructing the canal began in 1881 by a French company, but it faced financial and administrative obstacles that led to the collapse of the project in 1889.
In 1903, Panama and the United States signed a treaty that granted the latter the rights to build and operate the canal, and engineer George Washington Goethals supervised the project from 1907, opening it on August 15, 1914.
With the escalation of Panamanian claims to sovereignty over the canal, a “neutrality” treaty was signed in 1977 between US President Jimmy Carter and Panama, which stipulated the transfer of full control of the canal to Panama by the year 2000, with the United States retaining the right to defend it, which is what actually happened in December 31, 1999, when Panama took over the management of the canal, making this event a milestone in the country’s history.
Large ships cannot cross the canal on their own, as they are pulled by electric tugboats through double sets of locks, allowing ships to pass in two opposite directions at the same time.
It takes about 25 hours to cross the canal, and the canal witnesses the passage of about 14,000 ships annually, including container ships and military ships, strengthening its position as one of the busiest waterways in the world.
Although the United States gave up control of the canal in 1999 under the Neutrality Treaty, Trump’s recent statements raised great concern in Panama, especially since they came with other statements about Trump’s desire to annex Greenland, which belongs to Denmark, and the country of Canada in the north.