Panama’s President Jose Raul Mulino has rebutted US president-elect Donald Trump’s claims on the Panama Canal.

Mulino was responding to Trump’s assertions that the Panama Canal was built by the US, and given to the Panama government by the Jimmy Carter administration for “a dollar”.

“As president, I want to express clearly that every square metre of the Panama Canal and its adjacent zone belongs to Panama, and will continue to do so,” Mulino fired back in video statement late on Sunday.