The President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino, during his speech at the MERCOSUR Summit held this Saturday, December 20, highlighted Panama's competitive advantages. He noted that Panama has one of the most dynamic economies in America, which can strengthen integration on the continent. Mulino also added that he expects the elected president of Venezuela, Mr. Edmundo González Urrutia, to participate in the next meeting of this bloc.
Before heads of state and government, foreign ministers, MERCOSUR authorities, and representatives of associated states, President Mulino presented Panama as the premier «Air Hub».
«I am convinced that the best way to fight poverty is by creating wealth, opening the economy, and working for a state that is less bureaucratic and regulatory,» he said.
Mulino also mentioned Panama's trade agreements with Central America and the United States, which allow the country to be the ideal partner to add value to the raw material produced by other nations and to enter new markets with greater competitiveness.
«We have a stable economy, a robust financial system, and we are notably balancing our accounts,» he stated.
«Between my country and the member and associated countries of MERCOSUR, there are 576 weekly flights connecting 42 cities, which also facilitate connections with the Caribbean, Central, and North America,» Mulino emphasized.
He also highlighted the logistical strength of the Panama Canal and the rapidly growing ports, pointing out that it is public knowledge that two of the four largest ports in Latin America are in Panama, and that the nation is highly competitive in the logistics and transport sector.
During the meeting, which was attended by the presidents of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who received the Panamanian leader with honors in Brasília; Javier Milei (Argentina), Santiago Peña (Paraguay), and Yamandú Orsi (Uruguay), Mulino stated that Panama is not a competitor to the other countries.
«We are a complement to all of you, so that your products can reach the most diverse markets, increasing the competitiveness of foreign trade for all MERCOSUR members,» the Panamanian ruler said before his counterparts.
The President also deposited his instrument of accession as an Associated State, convinced that integration must advance gradually, orderly, and without trauma, respecting the economic and productive realities of each country.
He also valued the importance of being an Associated State with the largest economic bloc in the hemisphere.
«At this democratic table, there are leaders and representatives of presidents with different ideologies, but we have one point in common: all of us won our elections democratically, and we have the certificates that legally and legitimately back that electoral victory. I consider it a shame that a rich nation, full of human and natural resources like Venezuela, for not respecting democratic principles, is suspended from this Trade Bloc. These certificates were validated by the Carter Center and presented to the OAS».
«I wholeheartedly wish that at the next MERCOSUR meeting we can have the elected president of Venezuela at this table, ending that painful suspension for sister Venezuela, and once again adding that country to this table of development, democracy, freedom, and progress for the entire region,» he concluded.
President Mulino also took the opportunity to extend four invitations to Panama: • The CAF Forum, to be held in Panama, as a space for economic, financial, and regional dialogue. • The General Assembly of the Organization of American States, where Panama will reaffirm its commitment to democracy and the inter-American system. • Events to celebrate the bicentennial of the Amphictyonic Congress of Panama, evoking Simón Bolívar's dream of a united America through dialogue, cooperation, and mutual respect. • The fourth and last, to develop an integrated and comprehensive regional security scheme among all MERCOSUR nations to prevent terrorism, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and the illegal sale of weapons in our region, as proposed by the host country at the summit held in Buenos Aires.
He added that it is an injustice that the lack of institutional and freedom once again robs the good Venezuelan people of opportunities. «All the countries sitting at this table are witnesses to the massive Venezuelan migration, be it for political or economic reasons,» he said. «It is inhumane that one person and one party can decide the freedom of millions and have to expel a large part of the population to be competitive electorally and, even so, lose in a resounding manner,» he emphasized. «We maintain our Investment Grade and GDP growth doubled, comparing the first three quarters of 2024 with this year's,» he highlighted.
Among the topics addressed, he also referred to the social investment program planned for 2026, allocating 11 billion balboas, which will generate important opportunities for Panamanian workers and for the development of the nation, as well as for national companies and those from other countries wishing to invest in this icon of world trade, he affirmed.
President Mulino also took the opportunity to refer to the issue of Venezuela.
