Water transport in Panama

Taken for granted that he means absolutely literally what he proclaims publicly and in the style of a war telegraph, Donald Trump is determined to take over, even by force if necessary, the Panama Peninsula. And at the same time buy Greenland, making an offer that supposedly no one will be able to refuse, let alone the semi-autonomous indigenous peoples and the government of Denmark.

Protesters in Panama burn an image of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump following his threat to demand control of the country's interoceanic canal be returned to Washington.

Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the U.S. embassy chanting "Trump, animal, leave the canal alone" and "Get out invading gringo," as about 20 police officers guarded the compound.

Donald Trump has escalated tensions with Panama, demanding that the country reduce its fees for using the Panama Canal or return control of the waterway to the United States.

The Panama Canal delivered $2.5 billion to the national treasury for last year's operations, the government has said, despite record-low water levels that limited ship transits.

About six percent of global maritime trade passes through the canal each year, and the Panama Canal Authority earns money from tolls and services rendered to ships.

The Panama Canal, an engineering wonder allowing ships to travel between two oceans, is seeking to adapt to climate change after a biting drought has seen traffic and income dry up.

The canal relies on rainwater to move ships through a series of locks that function like water elevators, raising the vessels up and over the continent between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.