Trump says China controls the Panama Canal — but here's how it really works
The neutrality of the nearly 50-mile canal, through which nearly 15,000 ships transit each year, is enshrined in Panama’s Constitution and is enforced by the autonomous Panama Canal Authority.
What Panamanians have to say about Trump's threats to retake the canal
They say they fought too hard to wrest it from the U.S. to now hand back the waterway, which is part of the nation’s identity.