President of Panama Jose Raul Mulino, during a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said that the sovereignty of the Panama Canal remains unchanged and is not subject to discussion.
According to the National Press, in negotiations in Panama City, Mulino emphasized that the channel would continue to be controlled exclusively by Panama, and excluded the possibility of any negotiations on this issue.
“The sovereignty of the Panama Canal is not a subject for discussions,” said Mulino. He also said that Panama would not extend the memorandum of understanding as part of the Chinese initiative “One Belt and one Way” signed in 2017.
At a joint press conference, after the meeting, Mulino announced that he suggested that Washington organize a center for the return of illegal migrants arriving from Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador.
President of Panama emphasized that all expenses for this process should be covered with the American side. “I think it will be so. We will use Panama as a transit point and organize transfers from there. To be honest, this is a convenient solution for us. The United States can take all expenses and effectively manage the process. Panama will not invest a single dollar into it” , – he said.
Topics of negotiations: migration, security and Panama Canal
During the negotiations, Mulino and Rubio discussed the struggle with illegal migration, drug trafficking, as well as issues relating to the interests of the United States in the Panama Canal.
Panama proposed to extend the agreement according to which the United States can be used by Panama as a center for deportation of illegal migrants.
According to the Panama authorities, in 2024, about 300 thousand illegal immigrants crossed the Dariens rupture zone, heading to the USA.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump said: “We will either return the Panama Canal or something very serious will happen.”