On the day of his inauguration, Trump claimed that U.S. ships were being “severely overcharged and not treated fairly in any way, shape or form,” noting that “above all, China is operating the Panama Canal.”
He had previously said the U.S. could demand the canal be returned.
“It’s impossible, I can’t negotiate,” Mulino said when asked about returning the canal to U.S. control.
The United States built the canal in the early 1900s as it looked for ways to facilitate the transit of commercial and military vessels between its coasts.
Washington relinquished control of the waterway to Panama on Dec. 31, 1999, under a treaty signed in 1977 by President Jimmy Carter.
Rubio is scheduled to meet with Mulino Sunday and visit the canal. »