As we reported, Donald Trump has several times in recent days threatened to take the Panama Canal back into U.S. control because they’re ripping us off with “exorbitant prices and rates of passage” and are overly influenced by the Chinese.
We built it: ‘Complete Rip-Off’ Will Stop: Trump Floats Making Panama Canal America’s Again
Panamanian president José Raúl Mulino got wind of the idea and summarily rejected it in a video statement Sunday:
A short time after Trump’s [Sunday speech at AmFest], Mulino released a video declaring that “every square meter of the canal belongs to Panama and will continue to belong” to his country.
Without mentioning Trump by name, Mulino addressed the president-elect’s complaints over rising fees for ships crossing the canal, saying that they are set by experts who take into account operational costs, and supply…