Trump on Truth Social Requested that all U.S. Vessels Traverse the Canal at no Cost

U.S. President Donald Trump has requested that U.S. vessels, both military and commercial, be allowed to navigate the Panama and Suez Canals free of charge. It proposes recognizing the right of US ships to transit free of charge through these strategic routes.  President José Raúl Mulino reacted to comments made by his American counterpart, Donald Trump, on the Truth Social network regarding the transit of American ships through the Panama Canal.  In his letter, Trump once again praised the situation regarding the waterway, stating that not only military vessels but also US commercial vessels should be allowed to transit free of charge.  “US vessels, both military and commercial, must be able to transit free of charge through the Panama and Suez Canals!” the Republican magnate wrote on his Truth Social network. 

To this, Mulino responded on the social network X: “The Neutrality Treaty and the Organic Law of the Panama Canal regulate the transits and costs of these, of all ships, through our Canal. There is no agreement to the contrary. The agreed cooperation corresponds to the ACP to establish in accordance with the aforementioned norms.”  In the same post, Trump added that “those channels would not exist without the United States of America. I have asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio to immediately address this situation and recall it!”  Trump’s remarks come three weeks after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth visited the country, and together Secretary of Homeland Security Frank Ábgrego signed a security memorandum of understanding.  In addition, the Panamanian government reported that it is considering a compensation mechanism to allow U.S. warships to transit the Panama Canal free of charge in exchange for security and technological innovation services.