STORY: The canal will remain "in Panamanian hands": Mulino
SHOOTING TIME: Dec. 22, 2024
DATELINE: Dec. 24, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:22
LOCATION: Panama City
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the Panama Canal
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Spanish): JOSE RAUL MULINO, Panamanian President
3. various of the Panama Canal
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Spanish): JOSE RAUL MULINO, Panamanian President

STORYLINE:

Panama's president Jose Raul Mulino said Sunday that the Panama Canal will "continue to be in Panamanian hands" after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump threatened to retake it.

Every square meter of the Panama Canal and its adjacent area belong to Panama and "will remain so," and "the sovereignty and independence of our country are not negotiable," Mulino said in a social media video post.

Trump on Saturday called the canal "a VITAL National Asset for the United States," threatening to retake it, citing "exorbitant prices" on U.S. ships.

Mulino said he hopes to maintain a "respectful" relationship with the next U.S. government.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Spanish): JOSE RAUL MULINO, Panamanian President
"Panama respects other nations and demands respect. With this new government of the United States, I aspire to preserve and maintain a good and respectful relationship. Security issues such as illegal migration, drug trafficking, terrorism, and organized crime should be a priority on our bilateral agenda, as they are a real threat that we should be very concerned about."

Mulino recalled that according to the Torrijos-Carter Treaties signed in 1977 by the then-Panamanian president Omar Torrijos and then-U.S. president Jimmy Carter, Panamanians recovered their sovereignty over the canal on December 31, 1999.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Spanish): JOSE RAUL MULINO, Panamanian President
"Any contrary position lacks validity or support on the face of the earth. Our canal has the mission to serve humanity and its commerce, that is one of the great values that we Panamanians offer to the world, giving guarantees to the international community of not taking part, nor being an active part in any conflict whatsoever."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Panama City.
(XHTV)