Thousands march over concern Panama bending to US government
[May 07, 2025]
By JUAN ZAMORANO
PANAMA CITY (AP) — Thousands of Panamanians marched in the capital
Tuesday in the largest protest yet against an agreement signed during
last month's visit by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth giving U.S.
troops access to strategic air and naval facilities in the Central
American nation.
U.S. President Donald Trump thrust Panama into the spotlight even before
winning election last November by suggesting that his country should
consider retaking control of the Panama Canal and accusing Panama of
ceding influence to China.
Panama has vehemently rejected those comments but also tried to pacify
the new administration, which has slapped tariffs on many trade
partners.
University students led Tuesday’s protest accusing President José Raúl
Mulino of sacrificing Panama’s sovereignty with the deal.
“We feel like our president is acting against the wishes of many
Panamanians and in very sensitive affairs,” 30-year-old student Tony
Ruiz said. “He signs an agreement behind our back that compromises our
sovereignty, our neutrality with the world.
The previous night Foreign Affairs Minister Javier Martínez-Acha said of
the agreement with Washington: “The memorandum of understanding does not
imply a surrender of sovereignty, nor does it violate the national
constitution, nor the neutrality treaty.”
Bases where the U.S. will get access for military personnel and
contractors will always remain under the control of Panama and it can
terminate the agreement with six months notice, he said.
Martínez-Acha said the U.S. government acted in bad faith in how it
handled the sensitive issue in the media, an apparent reference to
Trump’s inflammatory comments on the canal, but nonetheless Panama was
being “prudent” and trying to avoid sanctions that have befallen other
countries.
[to top of second column]
|
Students and teachers protest the government's decision to sign a
memorandum of understanding on security cooperation with the U.S.
that they believe violates their nation's sovereignty in Panama
City, Tuesday, May 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix
“International cooperation is necessary to strengthen our
capabilities,” he said. “Collaborating with the United States in
this case helps us improve security without affecting our
sovereignty or our laws.”
The details of the deal only became public days after Hegseth's
visit.
In a separate agreement, Panama also agreed to look for a way for
the U.S. government to be reimbursed for fees its naval ships pay to
transit the Canal. The Trump administration has argued that it
should not be obligated to defend the canal and pay to use it.
The U.S. built the canal in the early 1900s as it looked for ways to
facilitate the transit of commercial and military vessels between
its coasts. Control of the waterway transferred to Panama in 1999
under a treaty signed in 1977 by President Jimmy Carter.
The Trump administration has also pressured for the Hong Kong-based
operator of ports at either end of the canalto sell those interests
to a U.S. consortium that includes BlackRock Inc.
While Martínez-Acha suggested that politically motivated opponents
are stirring controversy, the student protesters expressed concern
about a U.S. return to a country it invaded as recently as 1989.
“We are a neutral country; we cannot take sides with any country,”
said Jam Allard, another student.
“We want our country to be sovereign.”
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
