The government presented a "strictly technical" step, but critical sectors consider it a "surrender of national sovereignty." Among the personalities who signed the manifesto "National Unity and Defense of Sovereignty," published on May 1, are former president Martín Torrijos, former candidate Ricardo Lombana, deputies Juan Diego Vásquez and Gabriel Silva, former attorney Ana Matilde Gómez, and Panamanian vice president Guillermo Bermúdez, among others.
The new ambassador appointed by the Trump administration, Kevin Marino Cabrera, has delivered his letter of credentials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, coinciding with the alleged summons of the U.S. Embassy to several signatories of the manifesto. According to journalist Edwin Cabrera, the meeting was called confidentially to discuss the recent Memorandum of Understanding signed between the governments of Panama and the United States.
There is a possibility that those summoned will meet with Ambassador Cabrera as an initiative from Washington to assess the stance of the political actors involved. The memorandum, signed on April 10, 2025, strengthens cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking, facilitates joint military exercises, and involves rotating deployments of American personnel to former strategic sites.
