U.S. President Trump has previously claimed multiple times that he wants to "take back" the Panama Canal, and now he has a new goal. He stated that all American ships should be able to "pass through" both the Panama Canal and the Suez Canal for free.
Trump expressed these sentiments in a social media post on the 26th. He wrote: "Without the U.S., these two waterways wouldn't exist." However, this time he did not mention the word "take back."
He has asked U.S. Secretary of State Rubio to handle this matter immediately, although he did not provide detailed instructions.
The Panama Canal spans the narrowest part of the Isthmus of Panama, allowing ships to travel more quickly between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The canal handles about 40% of the U.S. container shipping annually.
The United States completed the construction of the Panama Canal in the early 20th century but handed over control of this strategic passage to Panama in 1999.
Since winning the U.S. presidential election last year, Trump has repeatedly stated that the U.S. could control the Panama Canal and Greenland for "national security" purposes. He has further claimed that China controls this waterway, but the Panamanian government has denied this accusation.