Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino said he is scheduled to speak with President Trump on Friday amid his efforts to reclaim the nation’s sought after canal.
“I was told a few minutes ago by a senior official that I will be speaking with President Trump tomorrow at 3:30 p.m.,” Mulino wrote in a Thursday afternoon post on the social platform X.
The meeting comes two days after the U.S. State Department alleged that government vessels can now pass through the country’s canal free of charge.
Mulino said the statement was “based on a falsity” and therefore “intolerable” according to CBS News.
In the past, President Trump has accused Panama officials of “overcharging” U.S. ships that pass through the waterway while alleging China has taken control of the trade port.
“American ships are being severely overcharged and not treated fairly in any way, shape or form, and that includes the United States Navy. And above all, China is operating the Panama Canal,” the president said in a previous statement.
Hutchison Ports PPC, a Hong Kong-based company, controls two separate canal ports but Panama remains the overarching authority.
The White House did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment on the proposed meeting.
The Panamanian president recently met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday where the two discussed Trump’s concerns related to the Panama Canal operations.
