• Newly sworn-in US President Donald Trump declared on January 20 that the United States would take back the Panama Canal during his inauguration speech, citing alleged broken promises by Panama and Chinese involvement
• Panama’s President Jose Raul Mulino reaffirmed the canal is under Panamanian control and dismissed Trump’s claims of Chinese meddling
• Panamanian authorities began auditing the Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Hutchison Port Holdings, to ensure compliance with a 25-year concession
Newly sworn-in US President Donald Trump declared on January 20 that the United States would take back the Panama Canal, reiterating accusations that Panama violated its commitments following the canal’s transfer in 1999 and allowed China to influence its operations—claims Panama has strongly denied.
“We didn’t give it to China. We gave it to Panama, and we’re taking it back,” Trump said during his inauguration speech, which invoked the 19th-century expansionist concept of “Manifest Destiny” while laying out plans for space exploration and territorial expansion.
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Though Trump provided no specifics on when or how the United States would reclaim the canal, he has previously refused to rule out military intervention, prompting criticism from US allies and adversaries in Latin America.
In response, Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino reiterated on X (formerly Twitter) that the canal “is and will continue to be Panamanian,” administered responsibly for global trade, including for the United States.
Meanwhile, Panamanian authorities launched an audit of the Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Hutchison Port Holdings, which operates two ports near the canal. The Panama Maritime Authority granted the company’s concession renewal in 2021.
Comptroller General Anel Bolo Flores announced the probe to ensure compliance with the concession terms and assess whether the government’s revenue share aligns with current cargo volumes.
He promised a “severe and strong” financial audit, noting that the ports handle significantly more cargo now than when the concession was first granted in 1998.
Trump’s remarks about the Panama Canal highlight a broader agenda for US territorial expansion. During his pre-inauguration statements, he also proposed acquiring Greenland for national security purposes and floated the idea of incorporating Canada as a US state.
Despite Trump’s repeated claims of Chinese interference in the Panama Canal, Panama’s government has consistently denied these allegations, and no evidence has been presented to substantiate them.
