Panama President Jose Raul Murino refuted the “false” and “extremely unbearable” claims made by the US State Department on Thursday morning, stating that US government vessels would travel the Panama Canal without paying fees. It indicated that it is permitted.
“I was very surprised by the State Department statement because they have made important statements based on falsehood. I said He added at his press conference every Thursday and that bilateral relations between the two countries should not be further investigated “on lies and falsehoods.”
“Panama is not the first country in the world, but not the last one,” Murino said. I said. “In my small book, bilateral relations between two friendly countries are not treated that way.”
Murino's comments come after the State Department announcement On Wednesday, US government ships will no longer face charges when passing through the Panama Canal. Canal authorities have rebutted the claims of State Department officials statement It was released on Wednesday evening. There, he said he had not adjusted tolls or other charges.
“At its absolute responsibility, the Panama Canal Authority is willing to establish a dialogue with relevant US officials regarding the transport of US warships, as it suggests,” the statement read.
The Panama president explained that Article 76 Within the laws of the Panama Canal, neither the government nor the canal authority can exonerate payments of tolls, fees or other services, and according to the Panama Constitution, it is the director of the canal authority who can set tolls. He added that it was a meeting. .
“I can do what I can, but I'm not going to break the Constitution under the pretext of something or someone else. I think I'm going to have an internal political issue that may be in the United States, that's its internal policy. I understand that,” Murino said. “I have myself here too, and I have to endure with them, but it breaks the democratic rules to impose my desires, my will, my whim. It doesn't mean that you have to.”
Murino was also notified at a press conference that US Ambassador to Panama Jose Miguel Aleman will “take action” on the State Department's claims, and all other Panama embassies will be saying about Panama Canal Bureau's Wednesday statement We have announced that we have already been notified.
“I've always done this in good faith. I can do what I can, but under any pretext, I will not violate the national constitution,” Murino said. I said. “I understand internal political issues that may exist in the United States, but that doesn't mean that I have to ignore democratic rules to impose my whim.”
The Panama president mentioned a telephone conversation he served with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegses. Wednesday. Murino said he and Hegses spoke about a variety of issues, including the “constitutional impossibility” of setting or increasing tolls for the Panama Canal by the president or the government. According to Murino, three Panama ministers were present during the conversation.
“I would like to make it very clear to the country that its rejection of this statement from the State Department. In fact, the conversation between both Secretary Rubio and Secretary Hegses was positive with yesterday, so I still apologize. No. It was positive,” Murino said. “There's a lot more that unites us, and this has more benefits to unite us than canal tolls that don't even reach $10 million in a country like the US.”
Murino reportedly claimed at a press conference that he had not received confirmation of a phone conversation he plans to hold with President Donald Trump on Friday.
Christian K. Calzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.
