Panama sued the United States
Panama has filed a complai with the United Nations due to the US Preside’s “disturbing” threat to seize the Panama Canal.
According to RCO News Agency, the governme of Panama City, in a letter to UN Secretary General Aonio Guterres, referred to an article in the UN Charter that prohibits any member from “threat or use of force” against the territorial iegrity or political independence of another.
In this message, which was made available to reporters on Tuesday, Panama asks Guterres to refer the issue to the UN Security Council. In this regard, there has been no request for a meeting.
According to France 24, Panama’s complai is being filed in a situation where this coury has launched an audit of an operator related to Hong Kong regarding two ports in this ier-oceanic waterway.
In his inauguration speech as the new US preside on Monday, Donald Trump again accused Panama, claiming that China effectively corols the Panama Canal through its growing presence around the waterway.
Although the United States handed over the corol of this iernational waterway to Panama at the end of 1999, the new American preside said in his speech: “We did not give it (Panama Canal) to China, we gave it to Panama.” And we’re taking it back.”
Meanwhile, the preside of Panama, Jose Raul Molino, rejects the ierveion of another coury in this channel. He emphasizes that this channel is governed by the principle of neutrality.
Reacting to Trump’s threats, Molino said: “This canal belongs to Panama and will remain.”
Republican Trump has been increasing pressure on this channel for weeks. 40 perce of US coainer traffic goes through the Panama Canal, and Trump has not ruled out using military force to retake it.
The United States is the main user of this channel, followed by China. Since 2000, the waterway has coributed more than $30 billion to Panamanian governme coffers, including nearly $2.5 billion last fiscal year.
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