‘Nothing to talk about… canal belongs to Panamanians,’ says President Jose Raul Mulino amid Trump’s threats

Panama City [Panama], December 27 (ANI): Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino on Thursday dismissed threats from US President-elect Donald Trump about potentially reclaiming control over the Panama Canal, stating there was "there's nothing to talk about," according to a report by Al Jazeera.
On Thursday, Mulino also ruled out lowering canal tolls for US ships and refuted claims that China held any sway over the crucial waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
During a weekly news conference, Mulino said, "If there is an intention to talk, then there's nothing to talk about," according to Al Jazeera.
"The canal is Panamanian and belongs to Panamanians. There's no possibility of opening any kind of conversation around this reality, which has cost the country blood, sweat and tears," Panama President added.
A day earlier, Trump had nominated Kevin Marino Cabrera to serve as the United States Ambassador to Panama. The announcement came alongside Trump's renewed calls for the US to assert control over the Panama Canal, citing national security and economic benefits, in his Christmas greetings.
Through a series of posts on his social media platform Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump reiterated his long-standing views on the importance of these territories for the United States.
"Merry Christmas to all, including to the wonderful soldiers of China, who are lovingly, but illegally, operating the Panama Canal (where we lost 38,000 people in its building 110 years ago), always making certain that the United States puts in Billions of Dollars in "repair" money, but will have absolutely nothing to say about "anything," Trump wrote.
Earlier, Trump referred to the Panama Canal as a "vital national asset for the United States due to its critical role to America's economy and national security."
As per the Office of the Historian under the US Department of State, the United States acquired the rights to build and operate the Panama Canal during the first years of the 20th century. The Hay-Herran Treaty, negotiated with Colombia in 1903, allowed the US rights to the land surrounding the planned canal.
The US-built canal was opened in 1914 and controlled by the United States until a 1977 agreement provided for its eventual handover to Panama. The canal was jointly operated by both countries until the Panamanian government retained full control after 1999, according to a report by CNN. (ANI)