Panama - Saba:
The government of Panama late on Tuesday filed a formal complaint to the United Nations over the provocative remarks of US President Donald Trump, who threatened to seize its waterway.
Trump’s threats came during his inauguration speech last Monday, when he said that “the United States did not hand the canal over to China, but to Panama,” hinting that it could be reclaimed.
In an elegant letter addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Panama cited Article 2 of the UN Charter, which prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.
The letter called for referring the issue to the UN Security Council, stressing the need to respect the sovereignty and integrity of states.
In parallel with this diplomatic move, the Panamanian Comptroller's Office announced the launch of a comprehensive audit of the Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of the Hong Kong-based Hutchison Group, which operates the Balboa and Cristobal ports on both sides of the canal.
This audit aims to ensure transparency and full compliance with concession agreements, including accurate reporting of income, payments and financial contributions to the state.
Amid these developments, Panama affirms that its waterway remains a symbol of peace and international cooperation, and that it will not allow any party to turn it into an arena for geopolitical conflicts.
Trump had on December 22 stated that he would demand a rapid return of the Panama Canal to American ownership due to the high tariffs for shipping and ships passing through it, stressing that the canal is of great importance to American trade, as well as to the operational deployment of the US Navy in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Trump stressed that the transfer of control of the canal in 1999 was a "gesture of cooperation" and not a concession to other countries.
The Panama Canal is an artificial waterway, built by the United States, which was opened in 1914. In 1977, the Torrijos-Carter Treaty stipulated the transfer of the canal to Panama in stages, and the process was completed in 1999. The agreement stipulated the neutrality of the canal and the possibility of its use for global trade.