Panama's President Denies Military Threat to Venezuela

Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino denied on Thursday that his country is providing its territory for any "hostile act against Venezuela". He stated that the training of U.S. military personnel on Panamanian soil is part of bilateral cooperation agreements with the North American country. Mulino also recalled that Panama, which has not had an army since 1990, frequently hosts multinational military exercises, such as "Panamax," which brings security forces from all over the world to the country. The president emphasized that the two issues—military exercises in Panama and the U.S. military deployment in the Caribbean—are distinct and unrelated. He explained that the exercises agreed upon with U.S. military units in Panama follow a protocol authorized by the Ministry of Security, noting that the Darién region is particularly suitable for this type of training.