“Speculations Rise: Could Trump Consider Military Action Against Panama in 2025?”
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What’s the News?
Recently, Donald Trump ignited international controversy by suggesting that the United States should reclaim control over the Panama Canal. He criticized the fees imposed on American vessels as “ridiculous” and accused Panama of allowing undue Chinese influence over this strategic waterway.
About Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a crucial maritime route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, significantly reducing travel time for global shipping by eliminating the need to navigate around South America’s Cape Horn. Completed in 1914, it facilitates the transit of approximately 14,000 vessels annually, accounting for about 6% of global trade. The canal’s strategic importance lies in its role in global commerce, energy transportation, and military logistics, making it a focal point of geopolitical influence, especially for nations like the U.S. and China. Control over the canal ensures dominance over key shipping lanes and international trade flows.
Who Constructed the canal?
In the late 19th century, French engineer Ferdinand de Lesseps, renowned for constructing the Suez Canal, initiated the ambitious Panama Canal project in 1880. However, due to engineering challenges and tropical diseases, the French endeavor ceased in 1889 after significant financial losses and over 20,000 worker fatalities.
Recognizing the canal’s strategic importance, the United States took over the project in 1904. Under the leadership of Chief Engineer John Frank Stevens and later Lieutenant Colonel George Washington Goethals, the U.S. implemented innovative construction techniques and comprehensive disease control measures. This approach led to the canal’s successful completion in 1914, two years ahead of schedule.
The construction cost the U.S. nearly $375 million and resulted in approximately 5,600 worker deaths due to disease and accidents.
How Canal’s control went to Panama Canal ?
In the mid-20th century, Panamanians increasingly viewed U.S. control over the Panama Canal Zone, established by the 1903 Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty, as a violation of their sovereignty. Tensions peaked on January 9, 1964, when a dispute over flag-raising escalated into riots, resulting in over 20 Panamanian deaths and approximately 500 injuries. This day is now commemorated in Panama as Martyrs’ Day.
In response to these events, Panama severed diplomatic relations with the United States, demanding a renegotiation of the canal’s status. After years of complex negotiations, U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Panamanian leader General Omar Torrijos signed the Torrijos-Carter Treaties on September 7, 1977. These agreements outlined the gradual transfer of canal control to Panama, culminating on December 31, 1999, and guaranteed the canal’s neutrality.
The treaties marked a significant shift in U.S.-Panama relations, acknowledging Panamanian sovereignty and addressing long-standing grievances stemming from the original 1903 treaty. The successful transfer of the canal in 1999 symbolized a new era of cooperation and mutual respect between the two nations.
Can Trump attack Panama Militarily?
Under these agreements, the United States retains the right to intervene militarily to defend the canal’s neutrality if it is threatened. However, any such action would require substantial justification under international law and could lead to significant geopolitical repercussions. Therefore, while the treaties provide a framework for intervention under specific circumstances, any military action would necessitate careful consideration of legal, diplomatic, and strategic factors.
Panama’s Response
After Trump’s Statement Panama’s President, José Raúl Mulino, responded firmly, asserting that the canal is a cornerstone of Panama’s sovereignty and dismissing any claims of external control. He emphasized that the canal’s operations and fee structures are managed by Panama, with no foreign interference.
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