‘The Panama Canal belongs exclusively to Panamanians’ in Response to Hegseth’s Comments.

The Foreign Minister of the Republic, Javier Martínez-Acha , rejected the statements of the United States Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth , who stated that Washington and the Panamanian Government “jointly control” the Panama Canal.  Pete Hegseth sparked diplomatic pushback on November 10, 2026, after his comments during a Pentagon press briefing.

Martínez-Acha stated that the interoceanic waterway belongs exclusively to Panama and that its administration is under the responsibility of the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) .

“The Panama Canal belongs exclusively to Panamanians; its sovereignty belongs exclusively to Panama. And it is operated efficiently and properly managed by the Republic of Panama through the Panama Canal Authority”.

The foreign minister also clarified that Panama’s cooperation with the United States on security matters does not imply that the United States has any control over the Canal.  “No country, except ours, has control over the administration of the Panama Canal”.

Martínez-Acha explained that Panama maintains security cooperation agreements with different countries, aimed at strengthening the protection of its critical infrastructure and combating threats such as drug trafficking and organized crime. However, he clarified that this type of collaboration is not exclusive to Washington. Panamanian political figures and former lawmakers also condemned the statement. Critics cited international neutrality treaties and Panama’s constitution to underscore that no foreign nation shares control over the interoceanic route.

When asked about the reasons that might have motivated Hegseth to make those statements, the foreign minister avoided entering into a confrontation with the US official. “Well, I’m not going to engage in a rhetorical contest with any foreign official.”

Panamanian officials swiftly rejected the claim, reaffirming Panama’s exclusive sovereignty and administration over the waterway.