Panama Canal Rejects Claims of Free Passage for U.S. Government Ships

The war of words between the United States, the government of Panama, and the Panama Canal Authority continues with officials in Panama saying they were “surprised” by the U.S. posting on X claiming “U.S. government vessels can now transit the Panama Canal without charge fees.” Later Panama’s president told reporters the statement was “based on a falsity and that’s intolerable.”

The U.S. State Department made the claim online after Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with officials of the Panamanian government and the Panama Canal Authority which was established in 1997 to independently operate the canal. Rubio reportedly carried a message from Donald Trump saying China’s influence and control of the operations of the Panama Canal were “unacceptable.” 

The U.S. is asserting that China has taken control an…