President José Raúl Mulino of Panama refuted the U.S. State Department's assertion that an agreement had been reached allowing U.S. warships to pass through the Panama Canal without fees. Mulino clarified that he cannot determine or exempt any entity from transit fees, expressing surprise at the State Department's statement.
The U.S. State Department had announced that U.S. government vessels could now transit the canal without charge, purportedly saving millions annually. However, the Panama Canal Authority promptly contradicted this claim, asserting that no fee adjustments had been made.
