Barbara Stephenson: Panama will keep control of canal

AlArabiya English

Former US Ambassador to Panama Barbara Stephenson says Panama won’t return the Panama Canal to the US, as it remains vital to the country’s interests.

Transcript

00:00OK, so one of the things you said in your opening statement is that this could all be

00:05a negotiating tactic, or you alluded to the fact that, as some analysts are suggesting,

00:09this could be President Trump's negotiating technique to bring people to the table to

00:14start the discussion, to put the idea out there.

00:17You also mentioned the former U.S. Ambassador to Panama, John Feeley, and one of the things

00:22he's been saying is that it would, quote, take military force to take back control of

00:27the Panama Canal.

00:29I mean, I don't know if you agree with that.

00:30And I just want to ask, could it really come to that?

00:36So I don't see a scenario in which Panama would, quote, give back the canal.

00:42I just do not.

00:43It is an issue of paramount importance to the Panamanian.

00:48Sovereignty over the canal is a deeply held conviction in Panamanians' hearts.

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