Tesla owner Elon Musk has sparked reactions online with a cryptic response to US President-elect Donald Trump's controversial comments about the Panama Canal reclamation.
Musk, in a post on Joined”.
Trump's comments, made during a speech at AmericaFest in Arizona on Sunday, have sparked an international uproar.
He accused Panama of charging excessive fees for use of the canal and expressed concern about possible Chinese influence in the passage.
“Has anyone ever heard of the Panama Canal?” Trump asked the crowd. “Because they are scamming us in the Panama Canal like they scam us everywhere else.”
Trump also shared an image on Truth Social showing an American flag over a canal with the caption “Welcome to America's Canal!” His rhetoric intensified when he suggested that Panama had not respected the “moral and legal principles” of the 1977 treaties that returned the canal to Panamanian control after decades of US administration.
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino was quick to respond and issued a strong statement on X to defend his country's sovereignty.
“Every square meter of the Panama Canal and its surroundings belongs to Panama and will continue to belong to Panama,” he said while dismissing accusations of Chinese influence.
Mulino clarified that while a Hong Kong-based company manages two ports near the canal, the waterway itself is under solely Panamanian administration.
Trump responded to Mulino's comments with a blunt response: “We'll see!”
The Panama Canal, a vital trade route accounting for 2.5% of global maritime trade, plays a critical role in U.S. imports and exports, making it a hub of international trade.
However, experts have noted that Trump's suggestion to take back the canal has no basis in international law, and such a move would risk significant diplomatic consequences.
Trump's comments represent a rare example of an American leader directly challenging the territorial sovereignty of an allied nation.
READ ALSO TOP STORIES OF Newslodge