Treaties ratified by the Senate in 1978 established permanent neutrality, but some Republicans regret that decision.

PANAMA CITY (AP) — Teddy Roosevelt once declared the Panama Canal “one of the feats to which the people of this republic will look back with the highest pride.” More than a century later, Donald Trump is threatening to take back the waterway for the same republic.

Carter viewed the Panama Canal transfer as a defining moment of his presidency, while Donald Trump recently reignited debate, calling it a "giveaway."

Panama's President José Raúl Mulino remembered former President Jimmy Carter, who died on Sunday at age 100, for his "crucial" role in ensuring the Panama Canal was returned to Panamanian control. The big picture: Carter signed treaties with Panama's leader in 1977 for the U.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carters historic decision to transfer control of the Panama Canal to Panama has resurfaced as a point of contention, following accusations by President-elect Donald Trump.

Handing control of the Panama Canal from the U.S. over to the Central American country was one of President Jimmy Carter's most controversial, and most overshadowed, foreign policy achievements.