The United States and China clashed with the UN’s Panama Canal on Monday, warning that the US could threaten its influence on Beijing’s main waterways, and China accuses us of the pretext of taking over the canal.
Community leader Didena Benite calls it the village of Limon de Chagres, a land made of love. She fears that if the reservoir is planned to be built on top of Limon it will cause an ecocide.
The clash took place at a UN Security Council meeting where Panama President Jose Raul Murino emphasized the ownership of his country’s waterways that connect the neutrality of canals and the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Panama held the council presidency this month, and Murino was chairing the meeting on maritime security challenges. Interpol Executive Director Valdeci Urkiza told members that these include copyright infringement, armed robbery, cross-border crime and cybercriminals weaponizing artificial intelligence to attack “minimum cybersecurity, maximum exposure.”
US President Donald Trump will put Panama in the spotlight by suggesting that he should consider taking control of the Panama Canal, even before he won the election last November, and that Panama should consider denounce the impact of its influence on China.
The United States built canals in the early 1900s and looked for ways to promote the transport of commercial and military vessels between coasts. Management of the waterways transported to Panama in 1999 under a treaty signed by President Jimmy Carter in 1977.
China’s UN ambassador, FU Kong, emphasized to the council that “Panama has consistently and effectively managed the canal and has made a significant contribution to global shipping and trade.”
“China has always respected the lasting neutrality of the canal and has firmly supported Panama to protect its sovereignty through the canal, ensuring its openness and smooth operation,” he said.
rhm/