Minister of Finance Felipe Chapman stated that he is unaware of the source of the information held by PRD leader Mitchell Doens regarding alleged toll payments made by the government to U.S. warships to transit the Panama Canal. Chapman highlighted that this is a matter handled with full transparency by President José Raúl Mulino and the relevant minister, Frank Ábrego. "It seems he has information that I do not have," the minister said. He added that he was taken by surprise by the politician's statements and that his own inquiries at the Ministry of Economy and Finance indicate that "it does not match reality." On a related issue, the Administrator of the Panama Canal, Ricaurte Vásquez, stated that the tension in the eastern Caribbean, due to the presence of U.S. vessels, has not affected transit through the interoceanic route. As of Tuesday alone, 38 ships transited the canal.
Panama Finance Minister Denies Payments for U.S. Warships Transit
Panama's Finance Minister Felipe Chapman denies knowledge of alleged toll payments for U.S. warships, calling PRD leader's claims inaccurate. Canal administrator confirms transit remains unaffected.
