US and Panama Conduct Joint Jungle Exercises

United States and Panamanian troops continue their participation this Friday in the first joint exercises of 2026 to learn the keys to military operations in the jungle, a daily experience for Panamanian security forces who want to leverage the less accustomed American soldiers. The new training program in this Central American country is developing as part of bilateral security cooperation and "with strict respect for national sovereignty," the government of Panama has stated. "This training is carried out within the framework of the historic bilateral cooperation between the Republic of Panama and the United States of America with the objective of strengthening the technical, tactical, and operational capabilities of the Panamanian state's security agencies," explained the ministry. In turn, Major Ariel Rosas, commander of the Infantry of Panama's National Aeronaval Service, detailed to EFE that three such trainings were held in 2025, while this is the first one this year, focusing on jungle training. "This exercise is learning the techniques needed to survive in the jungle, in order to later apply them when carrying out patrols," stated Sergeant Major Pedro Chávez, brigade instructor of the Panama-US Security Cooperation Joint Group, to journalists. "This program (current) ends on February 20 of this month, and similarly for future trainings, we have four scheduled for 2026," indicated Rosas. These military exercises involve the participation of 50 US Marines and 61 specialized units from Panama's National Aeronaval Service, National Police, and National Border Service, detailed in a press release by Panama's Ministry of Public Security. Chávez indicated that in this jungle training, in addition to Panamanians, soldiers from different US states are attending who must go through this preparation to be certified as instructors, which he expressed is "somewhat difficult to meet" given the intricate and rugged nature of the Panamanian jungle. The training, which concludes on February 20, is held at the Cristóbal Colón Naval Base, located in Sherman in the province of Colón (Caribbean), and consists of training in survival, tactics, and jungle patrols, with classes on building shelters and making fire, among others, with the participation of agents from the National Aeronaval Service (Senan), National Border Service (Senatront), and the National Police (PN) of Panama, mixed with American soldiers from several states. "One crashes into that jungle (...), and if not prepared, one doesn't get out, and if one gets out, it won't be whole," stated the American instructor, and emphasized that in this exercise "we are going to learn much more from the Panamanians because they work in that (the jungle) every day."