He announces that he will rename the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America."
US President-elect Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he cannot rule out resorting to military or economic pressure to gain control of the Panama Canal or the Greenland archipelago, an Arctic territory dependent on Denmark that the tycoon has shown interest in to the point of considering buying.
"No, I can't rule out either of those two measures," Trump said in an appearance before the media at his Mar-a-Lago mansion in Florida. "What I can say is that we need (the Panama Canal and Greenland) for our economic interests," the president added in response to a question about both enclaves.
Trump has said that the Panama Canal as it is currently configured is "a disgrace." In this regard, he regretted that former President Jimmy Carter gave up control of this strategic passage for a dollar, in exchange "supposedly" for the United States being "treated well."
"It was a big mistake," said the winner of the November elections, who acknowledged that a plan is already on the table to try to regain control of the channel.
Trump also intends to leave his political mark on toponymy and has suggested that, when he returns to the White House, the United States will change the name of the Gulf of Mexico, which will be called the Gulf of America --"what a beautiful name," he said during his appearance--. He believes that the change is "appropriate," in an attempt to distance himself from a country, Mexico, which he has again urged to stop the flow of "millions" of migrants.
Otherwise, Mexico risks new tariffs, as Trump has warned again, while also threatening its northern neighbor, Canada, with economic measures.
The tycoon, who has used his appearance to announce a $20 billion investment to build data centers in the United States, has claimed the supposed economic strength during his first presidential term and has attacked the current Administration, advancing for example that he will reverse Joe Biden's veto on oil and gas extraction on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.
He also said that, with him as president, "there were no wars" since it was he who "defeated the Islamic State," and pointed out that the US withdrawal from Afghanistan encouraged Russian President Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine, a conflict that the tycoon promised to resolve during his campaign and that, now, he believes "could escalate and be much worse than it is."
In the Middle East, the Palestinian militia Hamas has been called upon to release all hostages held since the attacks of October 7, 2023, by January 20, otherwise "all hell will break out."
"STUDY" PARDONS
In terms of domestic policy, the president-elect has accused the government of "using the judicial system as a political weapon," in a new allusion to the multiple judicial fronts that it has open and that, according to the magnate, lack any basis. In addition, he has criticized the current administration for not fulfilling the "smooth" transition that it promised after the elections.
A day after Congress certified his election victory, Trump has confessed that he is "studying" pardoning people already convicted of storming the Capitol exactly four years ago, when a mob stormed the main legislative headquarters coinciding with the validation of Biden's victory in the 2020 elections.
