The President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino, inaugurated the International Economic Forum Latin America and the Caribbean 2026. He called for the formation of a single bloc in the region, arguing that only in this way will countries have negotiating power against potential threats.
Panama, due to its Canal and strategic ports, has lived with this tension for years, but it has intensified in recent times. The president noted that world trade, exports, and imports are necessary, but they become more efficient when using the Canal, which serves all of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Mulino added that his countries demand that they work more on their coincidences than on their differences; that they be more united for the benefit of the nations. "Only in this way can we claim the place that corresponds to us as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, to guarantee peace in our world," stated the head of state.
"This did not overwhelm us, but rather showed us how important we are as a strategic route worldwide," he emphasized. The president reiterated that once again, Panama is not a competitor to its countries, but a complement to their economies.
"We are part of a strategic region, a food producer, with water reserves, with the greatest biodiversity, with an abundance of minerals, and also renewable resources," highlighted Mulino. He detailed that the world has been for some time in the tense antechamber of a great storm.
The head of state pointed out that a new world order is being sought, further from idealism and closer to realistic diplomacy, and this has already been experienced in cyclical history, and the same mistakes of the past cannot be made. "May the good and passionate Latin American discussions in the end serve to fuse us into a destiny of greatness," he commented. "Be it for North America, South America, Asia, or Europe," he added.
