- Dr Andrzej Wojcieszak believes that Donald Trump surely remembers that the United States financed the construction of the Panama Canal in the early 20th century – after they initiated the separation from Colombia of the fresh state, or Panama. – Thus Trump, reasoning as a businessman, can view this situation on the principle: “We erstwhile invested in a canal, now we have nothing of it”, Onetu said.
- “The Panama Canal administers the Panamanian government through its agency. However, the Chinese are present in this area due to the fact that they have shares in 2 strategical ports: the entrances to the channel from the Pacific side and the Atlantic side. These ports are: Panama and Balboa respectively – says Dr. Wojcieszak
- As to the position of the Chinese – as Dr. Wojcieszak notes – they remember that after the 1941 nipponese attack on Pearl Harbor, Americans moved a large part of their Atlantic fleet to the Pacific just by the Panama Canal. Therefore, in the context of a possible tightening of the dispute around Taiwan, this channel must attract Chinese attention – as a key component of transport infrastructure
- More specified comments can be found on the Onetu homepage
“We have been treated very badly due to this stupid gift that should never be given, and Panama’s promise to us has been broken. The intent of our agreement and the spirit of our treaty have been completely violated" – this Donald Trump's words from his Monday inauguration, relating to the 1977 Agreement, by which the United States ceased to manage the Panama Canal and it went under Panamanian administration (finally it happened in 1999).
"First of all, China controls the Panama Canal, and we did not give it to China, we gave it to Panama and we take it back," Trump added during the inauguration. Panamanian authorities have already responded to this statement: Jose Raul Mulino, her president, responded in a peculiar message that ‘The channel belongs and will proceed to belong to Panama, and his administration will proceed to be under Panama's control due to his permanent neutrality."
Can Panama do without the canal?
– The acquisition of the canal by the United States would surely make this country bigger, but Panama tiny – says, referring to the slogan of the Trump movement MAGA, Andrzej Wojcieszak, doctor of military sciences in the specialization of logistics security, employed at the Institute of past of the University of Lodz (ULL). Dr. Wojcieszak, among others, the author of technological publications on the Panama Canal, states that the billions that Panama earns on channel management are presently around 40% of the country's GDP.
– No country in the planet could act usually after losing a origin of income in specified a percentage," Onetu said.
Dr. Wojcieszak notes that Trump surely remembers that the United States financed the construction of the Panama Canal from 1904 to 1914. Earlier, in the late 19th century, a failed effort to pave the way for ships in the narrowest place in Central America between the Atlantic and Pacific was made by a French visionary, by which the Suez Canal was built.
– Then the abandoned structure passed from hand to hand. In 1902, the Americans offered to redeem the discontinued investment to the Government of Colombia. Her government refused, and then the United States initiated the separation from Colombia of a fresh state, or Panama – reminds Dr. Wojcieszak. – The Americans undertook to build a canal after signing the treaty in 1903, which gave Panama guarantees of neutrality and the United States control of the canal zone.
What is the current situation – after the Treaty of 1977 (with the Panamanian authorities by Jimmy Carter, then president of the United States), which yet entered into force in 1999?
– The Panamans administer the channel, and all profits go to them. The Americans, on the another hand, are to defend the channel's neutrality, besides in military terms," says Dr. Wojcieszak. – Thus Trump, reasoning as a businessman, can view this situation on the principle: “We erstwhile invested in a canal, now we have nothing, and they get billions clean.”
Chinese presence in the Panama Canal area
What about the Chinese who, according to Trump, “control the Panama Canal”?
– China is known to be expanding in different regions of the world, for example, during the fresh financial crisis in Europe, it proposed financial support for the example of Greece, in exchange for taking over crucial infrastructure elements in these countries. However, the Chinese are now mainly looking at East Africa and Latin America. due to the very advanced growth of Chinese GDP, they carry out investments around the planet – recalls Dr. Wojcieszak. “By the Panama Canal, however, the Panamanian government is being administered by its agency. However, the Chinese are present in this area due to the fact that they have shares in 2 strategical ports: the entrances to the canal from the Pacific side and the Atlantic side. These ports are Panama and Balboa, respectively.
Dr. Wojcieszak besides assumes that Chinese capital is to any degree present in the ongoing large-scale modernisation work of the channel – although it is camouflaged in private companies, but controlled by China. This work focuses primarily on upgrading the mucus, deepening and widening the channel.
– These are investments for the future, due to the fact that shipowners are building always larger ships, and channel administrators do not want it to lose in its meaning," says an expert from the University of Lodz. “The Panama Canal flows 14,000 ships per year, 1 of the most crucial “checkpoints” of planet transport. In addition, about 70% of these ships are American. No wonder the United States does not lose sight of the channel, especially since it lies almost off their coast from the American perspective.
From Channel not far from Key American Resources
As for the position of the Chinese, as Dr. Wojcieszak notes, they remember that after the 1941 nipponese attack on Pearl Harbor, Americans moved a large part of their Atlantic fleet to the Pacific just by the Panama Canal (without it, the sea road – with South America's sailing – extends six times). Therefore, in the context of a possible tightening of the dispute around Taiwan, this channel must attract Chinese attention – as a key component of transport infrastructure of immense military importance.
Onetu adds that Chinese movements around the canal disturb Trump for 1 more reason. From there, as Dr. Wojcieszak points out, it is comparatively close to the Gulf of Mexico (which Trump wants to call "American"), and in its region the United States has key infrastructure, including drilling platforms, underwater cables, military installations or space conquests.
Panama Canal and the fight against cartels
Dr Wojcieszak notes that the Panama Canal besides affects the most up-to-date aspects of interior policy that Trump wants to lead – that is, the prevention of illegal immigration.
– The canal is simply a natural barrier on a land road that can be crossed from the ends of South America to Alaska. And there's a bridge on the canal, and immigrants go, which means that his takeover would solve any of the problem for Trump," says Dr. Wojcieszak.
In addition, if Trump is actually reasoning of any form of intervention in Mexico to actively fight drug cartels in the country, the re-capture of the Panama Canal surely favours their "circulation" from the south (although there are inactive respective Latin states between Mexico and Panama – where cartels besides operate). Dr. Wojcieszak notes that specified groups are besides active in moving people to the United States.
Back to Doctrine Monroe?
"To sum up, taking over the Panama Canal would give Trump a powerful influence on the budget, blocking Chinese influence on the key route, including in the military aspect, and further facilitate the American President's fight against illegal immigration and cartels," says Dr. Wojcieszak. At the same time, it sees a dangerous analogy.
– 1 large country late utilized the argument that it was due to a "mistake" or "present" that the smaller state was in possession of a peninsula, specified as the Panama Canal besides of strategical importance – recalls onetu's interlocutor, referring to Crimea (and the Russian communicative that after the dissolution of the russian Union this peninsula was within Ukraine's borders due to the "present of Nikita Khrushchev".
Dr. Wojcieszak adds that the situation is dangerous, since Trump spoke of the Panama Canal as already the President-in-Office alternatively than as an electorate.
– Furthermore, the case of the channel should be viewed in the context of Trump's full actions. This channel, specified as Greenland, to which Trump besides complains, lies in the Western Hemisphere," notes an expert from the University of Lodz. "It seems that Trump does not want the full dominance of the United States on it, as it was inactive recorded in the Monroe Doctrine from the first half of the 19th century.
