cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/23416568

Summary

Donald Trump criticized Panama Canal fees as “ridiculous” and demanded lower costs or the canal’s return to the US.

In a Truth Social post, Trump also expressed concern about potential Chinese influence over the waterway, despite no direct Chinese control of canal operations.

The canal, transferred to Panama in 1999, is vital for global trade, handling 5% of maritime traffic.

Trump’s comments follow record revenues of $5 billion announced by the Panama Canal Authority. Panama has not yet responded to his statements.

  • xylogx@lemmy.world
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    17 seconds ago

    The reason it has gotten so expensive is that the lake they use to flood the locks is dangerously low. Thing is that lake is also their main source of drinking water. So there is limited capacity unless you deprive the Panamanian people of drinking water. It is a complex issue, and bluster and threats will not make it any better.

  • iamnotme@feddit.uk
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    12 hours ago

    Hey Panama, it ain’t right that you’re charging people to use the Panama Canal. Give it to me so I can gouge the fuck out of it, including US shipping companies.

    Unless they’re prepared to tickle my saggy balks of course, then they get friends and family discount.

  • Pringles@lemm.ee
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    18 hours ago

    In other words: he was playing golf with some shipping magnate who complained about the high fees.

    • Nougat@fedia.io
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      18 hours ago

      Probably not, since the US essentially stole it.

      US wanted to build a canal. The place they wanted to build it was part of Colombia. US backs a secession of the Central American portion of Columbia, creating the nation of Panama. Panama grants the US a 99-year lease on the Canal Zone. US builds canal.

  • Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world
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    17 hours ago

    Panama should respond,

    “In response to Trump’s statement, Panama will talk with Putin about the possibility of a Russian military base to be built in Panama to safeguard free trade from interference from President Trump.”

    Trump can’t get angry at his daddy Putin.

  • Dragomus@lemmy.world
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    17 hours ago

    Interesting, the fees can almost be directly compared to his tariffs, as in its a government mandated fee on top of goods/ships crossing the border/canal… and Trump does not like them 😅

      • Karmmah@lemmy.world
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        12 hours ago

        Would recommend it. Much better than having your brain rot away at a massively increased pace for the next four years.

          • Karmmah@lemmy.world
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            2 hours ago

            As is consuming news like these, getting frustrated over it but not being able to do anything about it and then wrecking your mental health.

        • Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world
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          11 hours ago

          Out of all the things I posted, that I thought you were replying to, I thought you were replying to my post that smith & wesson was about to benefit massively from the brain drain that the USA is about to experience over the next 4 years. With the implication of my joke being suicide. Then I read you reccomending it, and I full on belly laughed until I realized you were replying to a completely different comment. I thought you were going even more dark joke than I was…and I was STARTING the bar at suicide. I was like “GOD DAMN!!! This dude is even more depraved than I am! I love it!”

          And for anyone out there getting worried…I mean…

          …yeah, I don’t have a comfortable end to that sentence. This world is getting dark. The next 4 years are going to be bad. Real bad.

          • Karmmah@lemmy.world
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            1 hour ago

            I hope it’s not going to be horrible for most people and since we already live through 4 years of it we probably will live through another four.

  • teft@lemmy.world
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    18 hours ago

    Someone should convince him that it’s a good idea to just build a canal through the US.

      • Obi@sopuli.xyz
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        14 hours ago

        Ok but can we line them all up in advance and blow them all up at once? Film the whole thing from space.

        • Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world
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          9 hours ago

          I just was on youtube watching last nights weekend update. They have a yearly christmas time tradition where Colin Jost and Micheal Che write each others jokes in an attempt to roast each other on air. They don’t show each other the jokes until they’re live on the air.

          Micheal Che has a running gag of making Colin say the most offensive racist jokes to make Colin look bad for saying it, then cut to Micheal looking mock offended for saying such outlandish things.

          It is EXCEPTIONAL, and this years version may be the most brutal edition yet.

          Anyways, this all ties into your comment, because my brain was still in the mentality of that segment when I read your comment, and I instantly read it as Colin Jost.

          Tell him it’s like some kind of water border, like a moat. Immigrants can’t swim across water…especially the ones from Africa.

          cut to Micheal Che

          “Colin! I can’t believe you would write that joke for yourself speaking your own true feelings!”

          Last nights version was so brutal, Colin started off by saying “Before we get started, I don’t know what I’m about to say, but I appologize in advance!”

          And hooooooboy.

    • LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world
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      12 hours ago

      All you have to do is turn the nozzle up their near Canada somewhere and the fresh water will from from coast to coast… You could do it in a day