Experts say Trump cannot reclaim Panama Canal control despite fee disputes

Donald Trump, the president-elect, has threatened to demand the return of the Panama Canal from Panama due to increased usage fees. Experts state that reclaiming control is legally impossible without military action, as the canal was ceded to Panama in 1999 under treaties. The Panama Canal, a crucial waterway connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, has been efficiently managed by Panama since the handover. Recent fee increases have been attributed to droughts affecting shipping traffic, prompting Panama to raise rates for canal usage. Trump claims the U.S. is being treated unfairly under the 1977 treaty, but experts clarify that there is no legal basis for reclaiming the canal. The neutrality treaty allows U.S. intervention only in military conflicts threatening the canal's operation.