Panama determined to defend its sovereignty over the canal

Control over the Panama Canal will not return to the US because it is a political non-starter and because the infrastructure is the backbone of the country’s economy.

“That idea that you protect [the canal] as sacrosanct is above party politics,” Alberto Alemán, a former head of the Panama Canal authority, said during a webinar hosted by the Wilson Center.

US President Donald Trump repeatedly accused Panama of favoring China regarding port concessions, and vowed that his administration will work to regain control of the infrastructure, which was transferred to Panama in the 1970s.

Refuting the allegations, Alemán highlighted that Chinese companies are seen as normal “customers.”

He also said that the US Army Corps of Engineers was involved in the canal’s major expansion between 2006 and 2017, while China didn’t play any role.

That involvement included a US$1bn investment by Panama, Alemán said. 

Alemán said US criticism of the rates charged to use the canal is unfounded because they are based on studies and updated every three to five years.

During a visit to Panama last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio falsely claimed that US vessels were allowed to use the canal for free, but the statement was strongly refuted by the Panamanian government.