President Donald Trump has suggested that he might want to take back the Panama Canal, and if needed, by force. This is a bad decision because it would be damaging to both Panama and the United States if this were to happen.

President Trump believes that Panama has broken an oath of neutrality and that Panama gave control of the canal to China in his inaugural speech. Both the Panamanian government and the Chinese government have denied this.

The Panama Canal is a 51-mile-long waterway through Panama connecting the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. It was finished in 1914 by the US and given to Panama in 1999 to improve relations.

This was after the flagpole incident in 1964 which when 22 Panamanian people were killed by US forces which caused Panama to sever diplomatic ties with the US. Panamanian students demanded a Panamanian flag be next to a US flag and riots occurred when they were denied, causing US troops to be sent in.

Invading a US ally to retake the canal would be damaging for our country’s reputation and would anger the Panamanian people. This would also give China a chance to better their own reputation by offering to control Panama rather than the US.

WJPS 8th grader Tommy Sfakianos said, “It is wrong to give something to a country and then take it back.”

WJPS 11th grader Alex Narduzzi said, “If it will make stuff cheaper, then the US should take it.”

“Panama Canal – Second Lock” by roger4336 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.5