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International Desk //

The United States may take over the Panama Canal again. Newly elected US President Donald Trump said that if Panama cannot manage this important waterway acceptably, he will demand that the canal be handed over to them. He also accused Panama of having to pay excessive fees for using the canal.

In a post on his own social media platform Truth Social on Saturday, Trump further warned that he would not let the Panama Canal fall into the ‘wrong hands’. He probably warned about any influence China may have on the canal. In that post, he said that China should definitely not manage the Panama Canal.

A rare incident of a US president saying that he would force an independent country to give up its territory to the United States was revealed through Trump’s post. The Latin American country of Panama is an ally of the United States. However, this post also reveals that the course of US diplomacy is about to change under Trump.

According to Reuters, Donald Trump has not been shy about threatening an ally before. He has used aggressive rhetoric in negotiations with opponents in the past.

The United States played a major role in the excavation of the Panama Canal. The United States built the canal and controlled the administrative system in the area around it for several decades. After operating the canal jointly with Panama for a while, the US government completely relinquished control of it in 1999. Panama took over the management of the canal.

Trump wrote in the Truth Social post, “The fees that Panama is charging are ridiculous. Especially when they know how generously the United States is helping Panama. It was not given for the benefit of others. Rather, it is given as a sign of the cooperation that exists between us and Panama.

Donald Trump, who was elected president last November, added, “If the moral and legal principles of this great gesture are not followed, we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us. Completely and without any questions asked.”

The Panamanian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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