Citing UN Charter, Panama rejects US President Trump’s claim he can take back canal

In a Tuesday letter to the UN, Panama denied Trump’s claim that it broke a 1999 agreement and had handed control of the canal to China.

Panama's UN Ambassador Eloy Alfaro de Alba cited a UN Charter rule that nations must "refrain in their international relations from threatening or using force" against the "sovereignty or territory" of another state.

Trump, after returning to the US presidency on Monday, reiterated his threat to take back the canal, saying: “We didn’t give it to China. We gave it to Panama, and we’re taking it back.”

Hutchison Whampoa, a Hong Kong firm, operates two ports near the canal, on both the Atlantic and Pacific sides, but not the canal itself.

Panama’s President Jose Raul Mulino said he rejected Trump's comments in their "entirety," stating that "there is no presence of any nation in the world that interferes with our administration."

He added: “The canal is and will continue to be Panama’s.”

The letter was shared with the 15-member UN Security Council, suggesting that Trump’s remarks violated the UN Charter.

The US built the canal and managed the surrounding area for decades. In 1977, accords were signed with Panama to transfer full control, which was completed in 1999 after joint administration.

The 1999 agreement transferred full control of the canal from the US to Panama, ensuring its neutrality and Panamanian sovereignty.