Canal Zoning

Why it should be ours:

“They made a commitment, number one, that the Panama Canal would remain neutral, that it would not allow another foreign power to have control over it, to have military access to it,” Cruz said. “And number two, they made a commitment in treaty that they would charge fair and equitable fees.” “On both ends of the Panama Canal, on the Pacific side and on the Atlantic side, China controls, Chinese corporations, control massive ports that are right there that give them access and give them the ability to observe all traffic going through the canal, and potentially to shut down all traffic going through the canal,” Cruz said. “As I mentioned, also in my opening, they are building a bridge across the canal, they are spending over a decade building that bridge.” He noted that Panama brings in nearly $3 billion a year from fees charged to ships transiting the canal. “75% of those transits are American ships,” he continued. “So, they are either American cargo ships, commercial ships, going across or they’re American military ships, the US Navy going across. But either way, Panama is making billions, and the testimony we heard in the hearing today is that on both of those grounds, there is a strong argument that Panama is in violation of the treaty.”

Time to hand over the keys to the locks...