Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino replied with the words "Be serious, be serious" when asked earlier today whether he feared the United States would invade the country after new US President Donald Trump repeatedly stressed that he wanted Washington to regain control of the Panama Canal, Reuters reported.
Mulino refused to answer other questions after speaking during a session dedicated to "faults" in Latin America, as part of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos.
In his inauguration speech on Monday, in which he invoked the 19th century expansionist doctrine "predestination of destiny" (Manifest destiny) Trump reiterated his desire for the United States to reclaim the canal, which is key to global shipping.
Trump did not elaborate on when or how he intended to reclaim the canal - which is the sovereign territory of an ally - but he refused to rule out the possible use of military force, drawing criticism from Washington's Latin American allies and foes alike.
He also leveled previous accusations against Panama, including that it had broken promises it made when it finally transferred the strategic waterway in 1999. and that it had ceded its operations to China - allegations that the Panamanian government strongly denies.
On Monday, Mulino wrote in "Ex" that his country had managed the canal responsibly for global trade, including for the United States, and that the canal "is and will continue to be Panamanian".
During the World Economic Forum session, Mulino reiterated the government's position, saying that it rejected "absolutely everything that Mr. Trump said, first, because it is false, and second, because the Panama Canal belongs to Panama and will continue to belong to it.".
"The Panama Canal is not a concession or a gift from the United States," he said, adding that the important waterway came into being through a series of treaties dating back to 1903.
The United States is largely building the canal and managed the area around it for decades. However, in 1977, the United States and Panama signed several agreements that paved the way for the canal to be returned to full Panamanian control. The United States handed it over in 1999 after a period of joint management.