Panama reaffirms sovereignty over canal

PANAMA CITY — Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino said on Sunday that the Panama Canal will "continue to be in Panamanian hands", after US President-elect Donald Trump threatened to retake it.

Every square meter of the canal and its adjacent area belong to Panama and "will remain so", Mulino said on social media, adding "the sovereignty and independence of our country are not negotiable".

Trump on Saturday called the Panama Canal a "vital national asset" for the United States and threatened to retake it, citing "exorbitant prices" on US ships.