Panamanian opposition politicians have accused the US of launching a “camouflaged invasion” of the country, amid simmering discontent over the government’s handling of the diplomatic crisis.
After a three-day visit by the US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, US President Donald Trump appeared to confirm that US military personnel had been deployed to the Central American country on Thursday, telling reporters: “We’ve moved a lot of troops to Panama.”
Hegseth said that the US would increase its military presence at three former US bases in the country to “secure the Panama Canal from Chinese influence.”
Photo: AFP
The last US military bases in Panama were vacated in 1999 as a condition of the 1977 Torrijos-Carter treaties to hand the canal to Panamanian ownership. Under the canal’s neutrality treaty, no foreign power can “maintain military forces, defense sites and military installations within its national territory.”
“This is a camouflaged invasion,” said Ricardo Lombana, the leader of the opposition Other Way Movement. “An invasion without firing a shot, but with a cudgel and threats.”
At a news conference on Wednesday to announce the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the US, Panamanian Minister of Public Security Frank Abrego said the agreement would not impinge on his nation’s sovereignty and the country would not accept military bases.
However, a full text of the MOU included aerial photos of Fort Sherman, Rodman Naval Base and Howard Air Force Base, with areas outlined for “training,” “humanitarian activities” and the “installation of US property.”
The Panamanian government said they are not “military bases” and that the deal is temporary, but opposition parties have rejected such claims.
“If you have an installation which is for the use of foreign soldiers and they have control over what happens inside — and Panama has to ask in advance to enter — that’s a military base,” Lombana said.
For many Panamanians, the return of US armed forces — even for supposed “joint operations” — would bring back uncomfortable memories of 1989’s Operation Just Cause, when US troops killed thousands of civilians.
A second agreement allows US Navy ships to be reimbursed for the fees they pay to the canal.
That preferential treatment would appear to contravene the neutrality treatment and could open the door to further attempts to negotiate down the fees charged by the canal.
On Thursday, a local lawyer filed a legal case against the Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino, accusing him of “crimes against the international personality of the state.”
Frustration is growing over the government’s handling of the diplomatic crisis. Since Trump declared his plan to “take back” the Panama Canal in his Jan. 20 inauguration speech, all communication on the topic has been through Mulino and the details of negotiations kept largely secret.
This has led to serious differences in the US and Panamanian accounts of those negotiations.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited in early February, Mulino told reporters that the meeting had been “very cordial” and that the canal was not under threat.
However, Rubio said the situation around the canal was “unacceptable” and Trump continued to call for the return of the canal.
BACKLASH: The National Party quit its decades-long partnership with the Liberal Party after their election loss to center-left Labor, which won a historic third term Australia’s National Party has split from its conservative coalition partner of more than 60 years, the Liberal Party, citing policy differences over renewable energy and after a resounding loss at a national election this month. “Its time to have a break,” Nationals leader David Littleproud told reporters yesterday. The split shows the pressure on Australia’s conservative parties after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s center-left Labor party won a historic second term in the May 3 election, powered by a voter backlash against US President Donald Trump’s policies. Under the long-standing partnership in state and federal politics, the Liberal and National coalition had shared power
NO EXCUSES: Marcos said his administration was acting on voters’ demands, but an academic said the move was emotionally motivated after a poor midterm showing Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr yesterday sought the resignation of all his Cabinet secretaries, in a move seen as an attempt to reset the political agenda and assert his authority over the second half of his single six-year term. The order came after the president’s allies failed to win a majority of Senate seats contested in the 12 polls on Monday last week, leaving Marcos facing a divided political and legislative landscape that could thwart his attempts to have an ally succeed him in 2028. “He’s talking to the people, trying to salvage whatever political capital he has left. I think it’s
CONTROVERSY: During the performance of Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael’s song ‘New Day Will Rise,’ loud whistles were heard and two people tried to get on stage Austria’s JJ yesterday won the Eurovision Song Contest, with his operatic song Wasted Love triumphing at the world’s biggest live music television event. After votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, JJ gave Austria its first victory since bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed running into yesterday morning, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel — whose participation drew protests — on 357 and Estonia on 356. “Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,” 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose
Polish presidential candidates offered different visions of Poland and its relations with Ukraine in a televised debate ahead of next week’s run-off, which remains on a knife-edge. During a head-to-head debate lasting two hours, centrist Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, from Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s governing pro-European coalition, faced the Eurosceptic historian Karol Nawrocki, backed by the right-wing populist Law and Justice party (PiS). The two candidates, who qualified for the second round after coming in the top two places in the first vote on Sunday last week, clashed over Poland’s relations with Ukraine, EU policy and the track records of their
RSS