HAVANA, December 23. /TASS/. The implementation of US President-elect Donald Trump's stated intentions to reclaim control over the Panama Canal, should its current operational conditions not be renegotiated, could ignite a surge in poverty across Latin America and lead to a marked increase in the number of migrants heading to the United States, warned Colombian President Gustavo Petro Sunday.
"President Trump has made errors and contradicted himself. If he doesn't want thousands crossing the Darien Gap [the primary transit point for migrants from South America heading north - TASS note], he must understand that this will depend on the prosperity and liberty of our nations," the head of state wrote on his X social media account.
"If it seems costly to pay to pass the Panama Canal into the hands of Panamanians, it will be far more expensive to plunge Panama, South America, Central America, or Mexico into poverty. If they don't want us in the US, we must make all of the Americas thriving in independence, liberty, and democratic dignity."
Petro emphasized Colombia's backing for Panama in defending its sovereignty. "I will stand with Panama until the very end and defend its sovereignty. If the new US administration wants to talk business, we will talk business, face to face, and for the benefit of our people, but our dignity will never be bartered," he added.
On Sunday, in a post on the Truth Social platform, Trump stated that the United States might demand the return of control over the Panama Canal if current operational terms are not modified. He criticized the high fees charged for using the canal, stressing that the handover of the canal’s administration in 1999 was a "gesture of cooperation" not a concession to other nations, and urged Panamanian authorities to reconsider their policies.
Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino declared that the country's sovereignty over the canal and national independence are not negotiable.
The Panama Canal, which was opened in 1914, was built and initially controlled by the United States. The 1977 Torrijos-Carter Treaties outlined a phased transfer of the canal to Panama, culminating in 1999. These treaties guaranteed the neutrality of the canal and its accessibility to global trade. Today, the canal remains a critical artery for the global economy and a key strategic interest for the United States.