When I interviewed the president of Panama, José Raúl Mulinoshortly after the elected president of the United States, donald trumplaunched his recent threat to regain control of the Panama Canal, one of my first questions to the Panamanian president was whether he would seek greater support from China, Cuba and Venezuela.
It was not a gratuitous question. Immediately after trump made his threat against Panamadays after suggesting that Canada and Greenland should also be US territories.
It was a strange scene, because Mulino He is one of the most pro-American presidents in the region, and a severe critic of regimes like Venezuela’s.
Yeah trump escalates its threat to recover the canal Panamait is likely that virtually all Latin American governments, left and right, will side with Panama.
Many would see it as a precedent that could endanger their own territorial security.
trump seems to have united all countries in the region against him on this issue. Even the secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, issued a statement of support for Panama.
The canal was built mainly by the United States in Panamanian territory at the beginning of the 20th century and was administered by the American Government for several decades. After several years of strong pressure from Latin America, the United States signed the Panama Canal Accords. Panama of 1977 that returned the channel to Panama in 1999.
Mulino He told me in the interview that the public threat of trump It took him by surprise, although he had heard rumors last year that the former US president was concerned about China’s influence in Panama.
trump stated on his social networks on December 21 that the rates of the Canal de Panama “They are ridiculous,” and complained that the waterway could fall into the hands of China. The president-elect added that, unless Panama take measures to correct these alleged problems, “we will demand that the channel be returned to us Panamain its entirety and without question.”
One day later, trump He repeated these claims in a speech to supporters in Arizona, and posted an image of a canal with an American flag waving over the water. The caption of the photo read: “Welcome to the United States Channel.”
Mulino He told me that “the channel belongs to the Panamanians, and will continue to belong to the Panamanians.”
Regarding channel rates, Mulino He told me that they are established in public hearings by the Panama Canal Authority, which is an autonomous government agency.
Regarding the capacity of Panama to ensure the safe passage of ships through the canal, he said it has been very effective. In fact, most American diplomats agree that the canal has been well managed by Panama.
About the fear of trump that the canal could fall into the hands of China, Mulino He told me that such concerns are “a fallacy.” The canal “serves the world under 100% Panamanian administration,” and no foreign country “can have interference” in its operations, he added.
“No, I don’t see it as viable,” he responded. Mulino. “That possibility is not on the table.”
My opinion: I wouldn’t be surprised if the threat of trump to Panama be political theater for domestic consumption in the United States. Populist leaders always look for real or imaginary enemies to present themselves as saviors of the homeland and energize their bases.
However, despite the statement of Mulino that he will not seek a rapprochement with China, trump may be playing with fire.
China, Cuba and Venezuela would be the first to offer their help. The net result of the bravado of trump would be pushing Panama into the arms of America’s adversaries.
–Glossed and edited–
© El Nuevo Herald. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC
