MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed support for Panama’s government on Monday after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump threatened on Sunday to restore U.S. control of the Panama Canal.

“In fact, the Panama Canal belongs to Panamanians,” Sheinbaum said during her regular morning news conference.

Sheinbaum’s comments came a day after Trump accused Panama of charging excessive fees to use the Central American Passage while speaking to a crowd of supporters in Arizona. After the event, he posted a picture on Truth Social of an American flag flying over a narrow body of water with the comment: “Welcome to the United States Channel!”

Trump’s comments were an extremely rare example of a U.S. politician saying he could pressure a sovereign country to hand over territory.

Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino immediately condemned Trump’s comments.

“Every square meter of the Panama Canal and the surrounding area belongs to Panama and will continue to belong (to Panama),” Mulino said in a statement published on X.

(Reporting by Raul Cortes; Writing by Laura Gottesdiener; Editing by Brendan O’Boyle)