Panama Rejects Trump's Threats to Reclaim Control of Canal

On Martyrs' Day, Panamanians commemorate the 1964 uprising against U.S. control while denouncing President-elect Trump's rhetoric about retaking the vital waterway.

• President-elect Donald Trump has suggested using military or economic pressure to retake control of the Panama Canal, citing high transit fees and alleged Chinese influence.
• Panama's President José Raúl Mulino has strongly condemned Trump's threats, emphasizing the canal's sovereignty and rejecting any negotiations on its control.
• Martyrs' Day, marking the deaths of 21 Panamanians in a 1964 uprising against U.S. canal control, was observed with marches, ceremonies, and calls to defend Panama's sovereignty.
• The 1964 protests are widely seen as a turning point that led to the 1977 Torrijos-Carter treaties, which transferred full canal control to Panama in 1999.
• Analysts have called Trump's threats unrealistic, but some suggest he may use the issue to posture as a strong leader or seek leverage in broader negotiations.

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