Military force.............................but the USA had control of it before giving it back to Panama in 1977.......................................................that shows how imp. it is to the USA...................and 1977............the same year Lefante metro opened in DC.............it is all right at Lefante metro...........



Who is in control of the Panama Canal today?

In 1977, President Jimmy Carter and General Omar Torrijos of Panama signed treaties that transferred control of the canal to Panama in 1999 but gave the United States the right to use military force to defend the waterway against any threat to its neutrality.Aug 15, 2014