Panama City (AP) – Panama president José Raúl Mulino said on Thursday that there would be no negotiations with the United States Property of the Panama CanalAnd he hopes that the next visit of the Secretary of State Marco Rubio will allow them to focus on common interests, including migration and the fight against drug trafficking.
Being the destination of the first visit abroad by the US diplomat would have been great for Panama in all cases, but Rubio comes as the emissary of President Donald Trump, Who has repeatedly suggested in the United States to take over the Panama Canal.
The day of inauguration, Trump said that American ships were “Saltated and not treated fairly in a way or form or form or form “, noting that” above all, China exploits the Panama channel “. He had already said that the United States could require that the canal has returned.
Mulino tried to minimize tension during his weekly press conference on Thursday. He spoke of wanting to clarify the confusion of the role of China in the channel – a consortium of Hong Kong manages the ports at both ends, but the Panama controls the canal – and blamed a predecessor of the long -term concession to control the ports.
“It is impossible, I cannot negotiate,” said Mulino when he asked him about the return of the canal to the United States. “It’s done. The canal belongs to Panama. »»
The United States built the canal in the early 1900s when it was looking for the means to facilitate the transit of commercial and military ships between its coast. Washington gave up control of the navigable track in Panama on December 31, 1999, under a treaty signed in 1977 by President Jimmy Carter.
“The only thing I want is to clean all the garbage on the way, to clean the table and to be able to speak with the United States and very frankly” questions such as immigration, security and the fight against trafficking Drug, said Mulino.
Rubio should meet Mulino on Sunday and visit the canal.
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