The President of the Republic of Panama, José Raúl Mulino, stated today that his government will safeguard the country’s interests while emphasizing that its priority is to maintain and strengthen the historical bilateral relations with the United States (U.S.), which —he warned— cannot be managed “on the basis of falsehoods.”

During his Thursday press conference, held at the Amphitheater of the Palacio de Las Garzas, President Mulino once again rejected the repeated falsehoods spread about the Central American country and the Panama Canal, especially in response to the recent statement from the U.S. Department of State regarding the passage of vessels through the interoceanic route.

“I am extremely surprised by the State Department’s statement yesterday (Wednesday) because they are issuing important, institutional communications from the entity that oversees U.S. foreign policy under the President of the United States, based on a falsehood, and that is intolerable. Plain and simple, intolerable. Today, Panama, through you (the media) and the world, expresses my absolute rejection of continuing to explore managing bilateral relations on the basis of lies and falsehoods,” he declared.

He added that, as president, he does not have the legal or constitutional authority to intervene in matters related to the setting of tolls for the Panama Canal. Article 76 of the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) Law, along with Article 319, Section 2 of the Political Constitution, clearly establishes that neither the government nor the Authority may exempt payment of tolls, fees, or rates for services provided by the Canal, he explained.
Source: Republic of Panama