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Panama-Canal/Trump Threat/Voxpop
Panama City, Panama - Recent (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of pedestrians, taxis
2. SOUNDBITE (Spanish, dubbed in English) Xiomara Villamonte, Panama City resident:
"As a Panamanian, we feel frustrated, but at the same time, I think and believe that the canal is ours. We gained independence from the United States because we needed freedom. And this is on our land. So it's part of who we are."
3. Pedestrians, traffic
4. Locals chatting
5. SOUNDBITE (Spanish, dubbed in English) Jose Mosquera, local business owner:
"The reality is that this doesn't belong to him; it belongs to Panamanians. This canal is Panamanian, not American. That's why we disagree with Trump even continuing to make such statements."
6. Various of buskers playing instrument
7. SOUNDBITE (Spanish, dubbed in English) Carlos Antonio Batista, local resident:
"The canal, honestly, belongs to this city, to the Panamanian people."
FILE: Panama - May 2024 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
8. Various of vessels in Panama Canal
9. Sign of Panama Canal
10. Aerial shots of vessels in Panama Canal
People in Panama City have roundly dismissed U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's threat to take control of the Panama Canal, stating the crucial waterway's future lies firmly in Panamanian hands.
Since his victory in the U.S. presidential election last November, Trump has repeatedly raised the idea of gaining control of the Panama Canal -- a major shipping route dug through Panama.
At a press conference earlier this month, Trump declined to rule out military or economic action, emphasizing that U.S. control of the canal was vital to its national security.
His remarks have ignited a firestorm in Panama, as many residents believe that the canal is a symbol of national pride and a crucial driver of the country's economy.
"As a Panamanian, we feel frustrated, but at the same time, I think and believe that the canal is ours. We gained independence from the United States because we needed freedom. And this is on our land. So it's part of who we are," said Xiomara Villamonte, a Panama City resident.
"The reality is that this doesn't belong to him; it belongs to Panamanians. This canal is Panamanian, not American. That's why we disagree with Trump even as he continued to make such statements," said Jose Mosquera, a local business owner.
"The canal, honestly, belongs to this city, to the Panamanian people," said Carlos Antonio Batista, a local resident.
At the start of this year, Panama celebrated the 25th anniversary of the handover of the canal, which had been under the control of the United States for nearly a century. The U.S. had inaugurated the canal back in 1914 and operated the waterway until the end of 1999.
The Torrijos-Carter Treaties, signed in September 1977 in Washington by Panama's General Omar Torrijos and then U.S. President Jimmy Carter, ended 85 years of the colonial enclave known as the Panama Canal Zone.
Panama-Canal/Trump Threat/Voxpop
Dateline : Recent/File
Location : Panama
Duration : 1'18
Panama City, Panama - Recent (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of pedestrians, taxis
2. SOUNDBITE (Spanish, dubbed in English) Xiomara Villamonte, Panama City resident:
"As a Panamanian, we feel frustrated, but at the same time, I think and believe that the canal is ours. We gained independence from the United States because we needed freedom. And this is on our land. So it's part of who we are."
3. Pedestrians, traffic
4. Locals chatting
5. SOUNDBITE (Spanish, dubbed in English) Jose Mosquera, local business owner:
"The reality is that this doesn't belong to him; it belongs to Panamanians. This canal is Panamanian, not American. That's why we disagree with Trump even continuing to make such statements."
6. Various of buskers playing instrument
7. SOUNDBITE (Spanish, dubbed in English) Carlos Antonio Batista, local resident:
"The canal, honestly, belongs to this city, to the Panamanian people."
FILE: Panama - May 2024 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
8. Various of vessels in Panama Canal
9. Sign of Panama Canal
10. Aerial shots of vessels in Panama Canal
People in Panama City have roundly dismissed U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's threat to take control of the Panama Canal, stating the crucial waterway's future lies firmly in Panamanian hands.
Since his victory in the U.S. presidential election last November, Trump has repeatedly raised the idea of gaining control of the Panama Canal -- a major shipping route dug through Panama.
At a press conference earlier this month, Trump declined to rule out military or economic action, emphasizing that U.S. control of the canal was vital to its national security.
His remarks have ignited a firestorm in Panama, as many residents believe that the canal is a symbol of national pride and a crucial driver of the country's economy.
"As a Panamanian, we feel frustrated, but at the same time, I think and believe that the canal is ours. We gained independence from the United States because we needed freedom. And this is on our land. So it's part of who we are," said Xiomara Villamonte, a Panama City resident.
"The reality is that this doesn't belong to him; it belongs to Panamanians. This canal is Panamanian, not American. That's why we disagree with Trump even as he continued to make such statements," said Jose Mosquera, a local business owner.
"The canal, honestly, belongs to this city, to the Panamanian people," said Carlos Antonio Batista, a local resident.
At the start of this year, Panama celebrated the 25th anniversary of the handover of the canal, which had been under the control of the United States for nearly a century. The U.S. had inaugurated the canal back in 1914 and operated the waterway until the end of 1999.
The Torrijos-Carter Treaties, signed in September 1977 in Washington by Panama's General Omar Torrijos and then U.S. President Jimmy Carter, ended 85 years of the colonial enclave known as the Panama Canal Zone.
ID : 8412904
Published : 2025-01-20 16:48
Last Modified : 2025-01-20 20:50:50
Source : China Central Television (CCTV),China Global Television Network (CGTN)
Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland
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