This December 31 marks 25 years since the transfer by the US of the Panama Canal. Panamanians celebrate by ratifying that they will not give up control of the important sea route nor accept external pressures that risk their national independence.
This Tuesday, Panamanians celebrate 25 years since the transfer of the Panama Canal to the nation, after several decades of US administration, with the conviction of guaranteeing its sustainability and the national sovereignty of the important maritime route.
The Panamanian president, José Raúl Mulino, leads this Tuesday the commemorative events for the anniversary of the historic milestone reached on December 31, 1999, under the Torrijos-Carter Treaties signed in 1977, The Panamanian presidency reported in its X account.
“(The date) symbolizes the struggle, sacrifice and sovereignty of our nation (…) Today we celebrate a milestone that reaffirms our pride as a nation. Long live our Canal, long live our flag and long live Panama, always sovereign and owner of her destiny! “, indicated the Panamanian authorities in the message on social networks.
Under Panamanian control, the canal has been consolidated in recent years as one of the main world trade routes. For Panamanians it is also a symbol of national unity and the engine of their development.
“The Panamanian administration of the Canal has proven to be efficient and committed to excellence, adapting to the demands of international trade and contributing significantly to the economic development of the country,” Ricaurte Vásquez, administrator of the Panama Canal Authority (ACP), recently said. to highlight the effort and capacity of Panamanians to manage this work of global relevance.
a little history
The United States built the Panama Canal between 1904 and 1914. The US government managed it for several decades. After several controversies and tensions, in 1964 protests against the United States arose in the area occupied by the canal.
These unrest led to new negotiations over the administration of the canal that concluded in the signing in 1977 of agreements between the government of the recently deceased former president of the United States, Jimmy Carter, and the then Panamanian leader Omar Torrijos.
By virtue of these treaties, the permanent neutrality of the Panama Canal was established. Previously, there was a period of joint custody that ended with the US ceding full control to Panama in 2000.
These treaties guaranteed the permanent neutrality of the Panama Canal. After a stage of joint custody, the canal passed into Panamanian hands in 1999. Since then, the Panama Canal Authority manages this key infrastructure for global trade.
Celebration with nuances of reaffirmation of defense of sovereignty
Panamanians arrive at the historic anniversary in the midst of a recent controversy fueled by statements by the president-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, who said days ago that he intends to regain control of the Panama Canal, arguing without showing evidence that the nation would be allowing Chinese soldiers controlling the sea route and allegedly charging high tariffs, which he defined as “exorbitant payments” to American ships.
Trump, who will assume the presidency of the United States on January 20, has also said that Chinese soldiers would be controlling the canal and assured that the United States would be granted control of the canal “in its entirety, quickly and without question.”
Panama's response
From the country's presidency to ordinary Panamanians, the response has been unanimous and overwhelming. President Mulino has reiterated that there are no Chinese soldiers controlling the sea route.
“There are no other hands in the Panama Canal, only the Panamanian ones. This is how it will stay forever,” Mulino reaffirmed during the commemoration.
This is just one of several statements that point to the same idea of preserving sovereignty over the canal.
“Every square meter of the canal and its adjacent area belongs to Panama and will remain ours,” Mulino said days ago in response to Trump's statements.
Panamanians like Abel Zeballos, a high school teacher, told the Voice of America: “We are proud that our channel is Panamanian and that it is managed by professionals from various disciplines.”
Abdul Rodríguez, also Panamanian, told the VOA who feels “pride” that the canal is in the hands of Panama. “We are proud to have turned it into a successful company,” he insisted.
“The Canal is a source of pride for every Panamanian because it represents the efforts of our past generations. That today thousands of Panamanians work there is deeply emotional. The dream of many families,” said Dalys Lee, business administrator, referring to the social impact of the Panama Canal.
The successes and current challenges of the Panama Canal
Among recent challenges, the Panama Canal Authority is immersed in generating strategies that allow sustainability and guarantees for water levels that have been impacted in recent times due to factors such as the climate crisis and growing competition in trade. international.
See also: Río Indio, the solution to the water crisis of the Panama Canal
However, the Panama Canal Authority maintains that in these 25 years, the achievements achieved have been innumerable. They cite, for example, what they classify as the notable improvement in the canal's operational efficiency, where the transit time of a ship along the route was significantly reduced, going from 33 to 23 hours.
The expansion of the canal in 2016, financed entirely by Panama, according to the authorities, has consolidated its relevance in international trade, allowing the transit of Neo-Panamax ships and connecting 144 maritime routes and 1,700 ports in 160 countries.
“The greatest achievement is that the workforce of 8,500 workers has met the goal of being a 100% Panamanian Canal, managed with tremendous efficiency,” says Illya de Marotta, deputy administrator of the ACP.
Could the channel return to US control?
Omar Jaén Suárez, a Panamanian historian who participated in the negotiations for the transfer of the canal to Panama, the success of the administration is unquestionable and does not believe that a reversal of the measure that set a milestone in 1999 is possible. “These statements by Trump only “They managed to unite the Panamanian people and reinforced international support for the Canal Neutrality Treaty.”
Alluding to Trump's criticism of the current canal rates, Suárez expressed that these transit tolls are set in consultation with the international shipping community, prioritizing balance and competitiveness.
The treaties on the canal were ratified in 1978. In response to a US media outlet, Trump's former chief of staff in his previous presidency, Mick Mulvaney, suggested that Trump's statements sought to lower the rates paid by ships.
“I can't imagine American soldiers coming in to retake the canal, but you have to think someone is out there scratching their head and thinking, 'Is Donald Trump crazy enough to do something like that?'” Mulvaney recently said in an interview. The Hillthe program NewsNation.
The canal has contributed more than 28 billion dollars to the Panamanian State since the transfer 25 years ago, making it not only a pillar of the economy, but also an engine for the social and logistical development of Panama.
This year alone, the ACP gave the State more than 2.4 billion dollars. Today, the interoceanic waterway represents 7.7% of Panama's Gross Domestic Product.