Newly sworn-in U.S. President Donald Trump vowed Monday that the United States would retake the Panama Canal as he delivered an inaugural speech in which he invoked the 19th-century expansionist doctrine of “manifest destiny.”
Trump reiterated his pre-inauguration threat to reimpose U.S. control of the canal and again accused Panama of breaking its promises to finally hand over the strategic waterway in 1999 and ceding its operations to China – claims vehemently asserted by the Panamanian government disputed.
“We didn’t give it to China. We gave it to Panama and we’re taking it back,” Trump said.
He gave no further details about when or how he planned to do so, but had previously refused to rule out a possible use of military force, drawing criticism from Washington’s Latin American friends and foes alike.
Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino responded on Monday
As Trump repeated his threats over the Panama Canal at the start of his second term, the clearest mention was of an agenda of territorial expansion that he had laid out in recent weeks.
Ahead of his inauguration, he had also said he wanted to acquire Greenland, portraying the Danish overseas territory as crucial to U.S. national security interests, and considered converting Canada into a U.S. federal state.
“We will pursue our obvious destiny.”
Critics accused Trump of using language reminiscent of modern imperialism and suggested that such rhetoric could embolden Russia in its invasion of Ukraine and provide justification for China if it decides to invade self-ruled Taiwan.
Some analysts have questioned whether Trump is serious about pursuing what critics say would be a land grab and speculate that he may take an extreme negotiating position to force subsequent concessions. During his first term from 2017 to 2021, Trump was known for making some headline-grabbing threats and statements, which he failed to follow through on.
President-elect Donald Trump said Tuesday that the Panama Canal is “vital” to the United States and that treaties signed by former President Jimmy Carter to cede control of the canal to the Central American country were a “big mistake.”
While Trump did not mention Greenland or Canada in his inaugural speech, he hinted at hints of territorial ambitions during his second four-year term.
“The United States will once again see itself as a growing nation, increasing our prosperity, expanding our territory, building our cities, raising our expectations and carrying our flag to new and beautiful horizons,” he said.
“And we will pursue our manifest destiny to the stars and send American astronauts to plant the Star-Spangled Banner on the planet Mars,” Trump said.
Manifest Destiny, a phrase originally coined in the mid-19th century, was the belief in a divinely ordained right of the United States to extend its control throughout North America and was used to refer to the confiscation of land from Mexico and Native Americans to justify.
In his speech on Monday, Trump also reiterated his promise to rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America.
Former first lady and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton laughed as US President Donald Trump announced in his inaugural address that he would rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America.
Trump said the US “stupidly” gave Panama the Panama Canal.
The United States largely built the canal and managed the area surrounding the passage for decades. But the United States and Panama signed two agreements in 1977 that paved the way for the canal to return to full Panamanian control. The United States handed it over in 1999 after a period of shared management.
“We were treated very badly by this stupid gift that should never have been given, and Panama’s promise to us was broken. The purpose of our agreement and the spirit of our treaty have been completely violated,” Trump said.
He said U.S. ships were “grossly overvalued and not treated fairly in any way, shape or form.”
Panama has insisted it treats all ships entering the canal fairly, saying China has no control over its management.
China does not control or manage the canal, but a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings 0001.HK has long managed two ports at the canal’s Caribbean and Pacific entrances.
The canal is a 52-mile-long man-made waterway that connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans via Panama and is critical to U.S. imports of cars and commercial goods via container ships from Asia, as well as U.S. exports of goods, including liquefied natural gas .
