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Donald Trump expressed in a press conference intentions to take Greenland, the Panama Canal and rename the Gulf of Mexico

After resuming interest in Greenland and the Panama Canal and proposing to rename the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America,” Donald Trump’s initiatives strain diplomatic relations and aim to expand U.S. influence in the hemisphere.
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From his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, Trump revealed his intentions to expand U.S. influence through measures that put in check the sovereignty of several key territories: Greenland, the Panama Canal and the Gulf of Mexico.

At the same press conference, Trump insinuated that Canada should become an additional state of the United States. According to the president-elect, the trade relationship with his northern neighbor is unbalanced and, in his words, “is a subsidy for Ottawa”.

In addition, in terms of trade, the president announced a protectionist policy, as he threatened to impose tariffs of 25% on Canadian products if the Canadian government does not act to stop migration and drug flows.

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Strategic desire for Greenland

Trump also revived his interest in Greenland, the world’s largest island, currently belonging to the Kingdom of Denmark. This territory, is geopolitically strategic thanks to its location between the Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Glacial Ocean, and its abundant mineral resources.

In 2019, during his first term, Trump had already offered to buy the island, but Denmark flatly rejected the proposal.

Military importance and natural resources

Greenland is home to Pituffik Air Base, where the United States maintains a strategic military presence. This territory is essential for the ballistic missile early warning system and the monitoring of maritime movements between the Arctic and the North Atlantic. It would also be important for the dispute with Russia over control of the Arctic Ocean. In addition, the melting Arctic ice has revealed vast mineral resources and hydrocarbon reserves.

Trump is presenting himself as the leader who will right “wrongs of the past.” While his statements strain relations with NATO member Denmark, he intends to open a new front in the race for control of the Arctic.

The Panama Canal

Trump called former President Jimmy Carter’s decision to transfer control of the Panama Canal to that country in 1999 a “big mistake”. According to the Republican, this move weakened U.S. economic security and allowed China’s growing influence in the region.

The president-elect suggested that he might resort to economic or even military coercion to regain the canal, which would provoke a strong backlash in Latin America.

Trump declared that “the Panama Canal is vital to our national security,” accusing Panama of “abusing the gift” that the canal transfer represented and singling out Beijing as the main beneficiary.

Trump claimed that China is “basically taking control” of the canal through trade agreements and economic presence in Panama. In recent years, Beijing has invested significantly in the region as part of its Belt and Road Initiative, given that Panama was the first Latin American country to join this project and within this framework a convention center has been modernized, the project of a cruise port in the Pacific, the fourth bridge over the Canal and line three of the subway are being advanced.

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Renaming the Gulf of Mexico

In addition, Trump proposed changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America”. According to the president-elect, this change would underscore U.S. dominance in the region and better reflect the role of the United States as a hemispheric power.

The gulf, which washes the coasts of Mexico and five southeastern U.S. states, has been known internationally by its current name for more than four centuries. However, Trump insisted that his proposal has a “beautiful sound” and reinforces the nationalist spirit of his foreign policy.

In this regard, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has pointed out that the Gulf of Mexico has been internationally recognized since 1607, and currently by institutions such as the United Nations (UN) and that the former Mexican territories taken over by the United States could better be renamed “Mexican America”.

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