A fake quote attributed to Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino, saying that his country would double the tariffs for U.S. warships transiting the Panama Canal and devote the proceeds to women’s reproductive health originated from a parody X account.

They say they fought too hard to wrest it from the U.S. to now hand back the waterway, which is part of the nation’s identity.

In a statement posted to X, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino said the Panama Canal would remain under his country’s ownership. Mulino said he rejected Trump’s words “in their entirety” and reiterated that the canal would continue to be overseen by the Pamanian government.

On Christmas Day, Trump posted on social media that the "wonderful soldiers of China" were "lovingly, but illegally, operating the Panama Canal" - a claim which was swiftly denied by officials in Panama City and Beijing.

US President Donald Trump's threat to seize the Panama Canal over alleged undue Chinese influence may really be aimed at limiting Beijing's growing diplomatic and economic presence in Latin America, experts say.

For Panama Canal visitors, here’s a guide to experiencing and understanding the mega engineering project that captivates the world.

Panama’s government and President José Raúl Mulino have repeatedly denied that there is any Chinese presence at the canal.

Analysts believe takeover comments could be aimed at getting lower fees, but they could also push Panama to embrace China

Explore the complexities behind Donald Trump's claim about China's control over the Panama Canal and its geopolitical implications for US-China relations in Latin America.

As United States President Donald Trump was sworn in for his second term on Monday, he repeated his wishes to acquire the Panama Canal and rename the Gulf of Mexico in his inaugural speech. Trump has spoken about the canal and the Gulf of Mexico previously. On Monday, he signalled he was serious about moving ahead with both those ideas – and soon.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to visit Panama in the coming weeks, fleshing out President Donald Trump’s push to regain control of the Panama Canal. The anticipated visit to Panama, Guatemala,