“I was very surprised by the statement of the State Department because they are making important statements based on a falsehood and that is simply intolerable,” Mulino said during his weekly Thursday press conference, and added that bilateral relations between the two countries should not be further explored “on the basis of lies and falsehoods.”
“Panama is not the first country in the world, but neither is it the last,” Mulino said. “In my little book, bilateral relations between two friendly countries are not handled that way.”
Mulino’s remarks come after the State Department announced on Wednesday that U.S. government ships would no longer face fees when transiting through the Panama Canal. The Canal’s authority refuted the State Department’s claims in an official statement released on Wednesday evening, in which it stated that it has not made any adjustments to its tolls and other fees.
“With absolute responsibility, the Panama Canal Authority, as it has indicated, is willing to establish a dialogue with the pertinent officials of the United States with respect to the transit of U.S. warships,” the statement read.
The Panamanian President explained that, according to Article 76 of the Panama Canal’s law, neither the government nor the canal’s authority can exonerate the payment of tolls, fees, and other services, and added that according to the Panamanian Constitution, it is the board of directors of the canal’s authority that can set the tolls.
“I can do what I can do, but I am not going to break the Constitution under the pretext of anything or anyone. I understand the internal political problems that there may be in the United States, that is its internal policy,” Mulino said. “I have my own here, too, and I have to bear and live with them, but that does not mean I have to break the democratic rules to impose my desire, my will, my whim.”
Mulino also announced in his press conference that the Panamanian Ambassador to the United States, José Miguel Alemán, was notified to “take action” regarding the State Department’s assertions and that all other Panamanian embassies had already been informed of the Panama Canal Authority’s Wednesday statement.
“At all times I have conducted this in good faith. I can do what I can do, but I will not transgress the national constitution, under the pretext of anything or anyone,” Mulino said. “I understand the internal political problems that may exist in the United States but that does not mean that I have to ignore the democratic rules to impose my whim.”
The Panamanian president referred to a telephone conversation he held with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday. Mulino said that he and Hegseth spoke on various issues including migration and the “constitutional impossibility” of setting or increasing Panama Canal tolls by the president or the government. According to Mulino, three Panamanian ministers were present during the conversation.
“I want to make very clear to the country my rejection of this statement from the State Department and I feel sorry because in reality, and I still believe that it can be done, the conversation with both Secretary Rubio and Secretary Hegseth yesterday was positive, it was positive,” Mulino said. “There are many more things that unite us, many more interests that unite us than some tolls for the Canal that also do not even reach 10 million dollars for a country like the United States.”
Mulino reportedly asserted during the press conference that he has not received confirmation on a telephone conversation he is slated to hold with President Donald Trump on Friday.
Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.
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