Protestors in Panama burned the American flag as well as an image of President-elect Donald Trump, after Trump demanded that control of the Panama Canal be handed over to the U.S.
Anti-US protests are breaking out in Panama following Trump’s threat to invade the Panama Canal. Unions, who organized the rally yesterday, say that they will defend their country no matter the cost. pic.twitter.com/lLIN2g14Tr
— red. (@redstreamnet) December 24, 2024
The demonstrators, who collected outside of the U.S. embassy in Panama, chanted anti-Trump slogans in which they vowed not to give up their territory.
The slogans included sayings such as "Trump, animal, leave the canal alone", "Get out invading gringo" and even "Donald Trump, public enemy of Panama" which was written onto some posters and materials at the protest, as reported by AFP.
In one video shared to social media, an American flag was burned along with a photo of Trump with the phrase "F*** TRUMP!"
"The (Panamanian) people have shown that they are capable of recovering their territory and we are not going to give it up again," protester Jorge Guzman told AFP.
Trump previously complained about fees levied on U.S. ships passing through the canal, which he believes are unfair and should be decreased.
"Our Navy and Commerce have been treated in a very unfair and injudicious way. The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous, especially knowing the extraordinary generosity that has been bestowed to Panama by the U.S. This complete 'rip-off' of our Country will immediately stop," he wrote to Truth Social Saturday night.
The president-elect continued to express how he believed the U.S. had been fair to the nation of Panama, having provided Panama with a "token of cooperation" by assuring the world that the U.S, government would never let control over the canal "fall into the wrong hands."
"If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us, in full, and without question. To the Officials of Panama, please be guided accordingly!" Trump continued.
The U.S. ceded control of the canal to Panama on Dec. 31, 1999, and Panama has been in control of it ever since. Under their authority, the canal's traffic increased by 17% from 1999 to 2004, as reported by the Associated Press. Furthermore, the central American nation voted in favor of a $5.2 billion expansion of the canal, which was completed in 2016.
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