The Panama Canal is not for sale, says the president of Panama. What you should know about the history and condition of this canal

President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly suggested that the United States seize the Panama Canal, a shipping route through Central America, unless the cost of using the canal is reduced.

Panama’s leader hit back in a recent statement, saying the waterway is not for sale. Since then, Trump has repeatedly posted about the canal.

It is the latest in a series of similar statements from Trump, who recently raised the United States take Greenlandidea with him floated during his first presidency. He also jokes about Canada being a US citizen.

Here’s what you need to know about the history of the Panama Canal and the United States’ involvement with the shipping route.

History of the Panama Canal

The Panama Canal was built by the United States between 1904 and 1913, and opened in 1917. Building the canal cost about $375 million, making it the most expensive construction project in US history at the time, according to the Panama Canal Authority. The canal connects the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, giving ships a shortcut to the edge of South America. The canal changed shipping in the region.

The US acquired the rights to build and operate the canal in the early 20th century, but at the time, Panama was in the process of secession from Colombia, and its senate refused to accept an agreement that would have allowed the construction of the canal, according to the report. at the Office of the Department of State History.

To ensure that the canal can be built, which was once there President Theodore Roosevelt supported Panama’s independence, and in 1903, the US and Panama signed an agreement that established US territorial rights in the “Panama Canal Zone” that spanned the country. However, the person who negotiated on behalf of Panama did not have official permission from the national government and had not lived in the country for 17 years, causing many Panamanians to question the validity of the agreement, according to the Historical Office.

Throughout the 20th century, the US and Panama faced tensions surrounding the canal, including unrest in the 60s that led to a brief disruption of diplomatic relations between the countries. In 1967, the US and Panama began negotiating a new treaty, eventually reaching an agreement, but a change in elected leaders and an uprising in Panama led to the establishment of a new government in the Central American nation, according to the Office of History. . As a result, the negotiations “had serious problems.”

Negotiations continued throughout the 70s. When Jimmy Carter was elected president, he made ending the negotiation process a top priority, according to the Office of History. In 1977, two treaties were sent to the US Senate: the Treaty of Neutrality, which stated that the US could use its military to protect the canal, allowing for “permanent US use” of the waterway, and the Panama Canal Treaty, which would end the presence. of the Panama Canal Zone and allowed the canal to be turned over to Panama in December 1999. As part of the second agreement, Panama would be primarily responsible for protecting the canal.

The agreements, known collectively as the Torrijos-Carter Treaties, were signed on September 7, 1977. In the spring of 1978, the United States Senate voted to accept the treaties, and Carter signed them into law on September 27, 1979. The canal was transferred to Panama on Dec. 31, 1999, during the Clinton administration.

Who uses the Panama Canal?

The Panama Canal has been owned and operated by the Panama Canal Authority, a government-run agency, since 1999. This organization was established shortly before the canal was returned to Panama.

Since taking control of the waterway, the Panama Canal Authority has invested billions in expanding the canal. A $5.25 billion canal expansion opened in 2016, doubling the waterway’s capacity and reducing global shipping costs by an estimated $8 billion a year, CBS News previously reported. Expansion is also allowed large ships to pass.

Who uses the Panama Canal?

About 40% of the world’s cargo ships pass through the Panama Canal, CBS News previously reportedalthough the recent drought has forced operators to reduce crossings.

About two-thirds of the traffic in the canal is to or from the United States, although ships from around the world use the waterway each day, according to the Panama Canal Authority.

Between 13,000 and 14,000 ships use the canal each year, the agency said.

Trump, the president of Panama is conflicted

Trump first appeared to suggest that the United States should seize the Panama Canal in a TruthSocial post on December 21.

He also raised the issue to a crowd of supporters at Turning Point’s AmericaFest on Sunday, where he said Panama was paying “exorbitant prices” and said “the total destruction of our country will stop immediately.”

“If the principles, moral and legal, of this great act of generosity, are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States of America, in full, immediately and without hesitation,” said Trump.

Wednesday, Trump said he would suggest Miami-Dade International Trade Consortium member Kevin Marino Cabrera to become US ambassador to Panama. In that announcement, he accused Panama of having “passed through the Panama Canal, beyond their worst nightmare.”

Trump continued to post online about the US regaining ownership of the canal, and referenced the canal in a Christmas Day message shared on TruthSocial. He warned of a possible influence from China on the shipping channel, despite the fact that there is no Chinese presence in the channel, according to Reuters. The Hong Kong-based company owns two ports along the canal, Reuters said.

Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino said in a statement posted on social media that “every square meter” of the canal “belongs to Panama and will continue to belong to Panama.”

“We’ll see about that!” Trump wrote online in response.