To return the canal to Panama, President Jimmy Carter worked to change minds and build a bipartisan coalition that put aside short-term political considerations.

The canal was turned over to Panama on Dec. 31, 1999. For Carter, the deal signified a new beginning of mutual respect and cooperation between the U.S. and Latin America, as he said in his speech in 1978. It also showed “the last remnant of alleged American colonialism is being removed” during a time when the world moved away from imperialism.

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

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.

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.

Panama is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the U.S. handover of the Panama Canal, which President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to take back

Panama on Tuesday marked the 25th anniversary of the United States' handover of its interoceanic canal, a milestone overshadowed by President-elect Donald Trump's threat to demand control be returned to Washington.