Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino stated that his country is carefully observing the escalation of tension between the United States and Venezuela, but this issue is completely foreign to Panama in terms of participation. Mulino said that the United States has several claims against Venezuela, including its lack of recognition for democracy and its sponsorship of drug trafficking. These are problems between the two countries that Panama is watching with great care. The United States maintains an unprecedented military deployment in the Caribbean, defended by the White House as part of its strategy against drugs from South America, which the Venezuelan government led by Nicolás Maduro calls a 'threat' and an attempt to foment a regime change. In addition to the military deployment in Caribbean waters, the Trump administration has increased pressure on the Maduro government with measures such as 'the total and complete blockade of all sanctioned tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.' Since last September, the U.S. has been bombing civilian boats allegedly linked to drug trafficking, which has so far left nearly a hundred dead.