Controversy Over Panama Canal Fees: Dispute Between USA and Panama

Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino denied the US State Department's claim about free US warship transit through the Panama Canal. Mulino clarified that he lacks the authority to set or waive canal fees. This came after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit addressing China's influence on the canal.

In a press conference, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino refuted claims by the US State Department regarding a supposed agreement allowing US warships free transit through the Panama Canal. Mulino clarified that he neither possesses the authority to set transit fees nor the power to exempt any nation from these charges.

His denial comes in response to a statement from the US State Department stating that "US government vessels can now transit the Panama Canal without charge fees, saving the US government millions of dollars a year." The assertion was made on social media, but the department did not immediately respond to Mulino's refutation.

This disagreement surfaces shortly after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's meeting with Mulino, where discussions involved United States' concerns over China's growing influence in the canal, a situation perceived by the US as potentially violating a neutrality treaty established in 1999.