Trump’s Panama Canal Pretentions Are Uniting Panamanians
Opposition Bloc Issues a Statement in Defense of National Sovereignty Following Agreements Signed with the United States.
By Mario De Gracia (La Prensa de Panamá)
HAVANA TIMES – A bloc made up of leaders of political parties and organizations, former presidential candidates, legislators, internationalists, and other civil society actors issued a strong statement in defense of national sovereignty. This comes in response to agreements signed by the governments of Panama and the United States, relating to the Panama Canal and its adjacent areas, which are considered to be in conflict with the spirit of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties and a violation of the Panama Canal’s neutrality regime.
The statement, titled “National Unity and Defense of Sovereignty”, was presented publicly as a patriotic call in the face of what the group describes as “expansionist and hegemonic intentions” by the US government.
It was signed by political figures from various parties, including former presidential candidates Martín Torrijos, of the Popular Party, and Ricardo Lombana, of the Otro Camino Movement; as well as former lawmakers and leaders of the Vamos coalition, Juan Diego Vasquez and Gabriel Silva; and Guillermo “Willy” Bermudez, vice president of the Panameñista Party.
The group emphasized that Panama’s full sovereignty was achieved after decades of struggle, especially symbolized by the sacrifice of the martyrs of January 1964 and solidified with the implementation of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties, which ended the foreign military presence in the country.
The event also featured the presence of lawmaker Crispiano Adames of the Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD); former Attorney General Ana Matilde Gómez; and the deputy mayor of Panama City, Roberto Ruíz Díaz, among other political figures.
“In these historic times for the country, all Panamanians must adopt a patriotic stance, with firmness and national unity. It is necessary to set aside personal interests and promote an international strategy in solidarity with our country and consistent with our national interests,” the statement reads.
The document also calls on the government of Jose Raul Mulino to reject the documents signed during the recent visit to Panama by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, which they refer to as the “Mulino-Hegseth Joint Declaration,” the “Ábrego-Hegseth Memorandum of Understanding,” and the “Icaza-Hegseth Joint Declaration,” calling them “harmful to national sovereignty and contrary to the Constitution and the laws of our country.”
Additionally, it accuses the Panamanian government of allowing unequal treatment in the transit of vessels through the Canal, particularly in favor of US warships, and of facilitating the establishment of foreign military forces on national territory—actions deemed unacceptable and contrary to the country’s legal and historical framework.
The signatories demand the withdrawal of these agreements and propose an international diplomatic strategy to denounce these actions before organizations such as the UN, the OAS, and the Security Council. They also urge all sectors of society to unite in defense of sovereignty.
First published in Spanish by La Prensa de Panamá and translated and posted in English by Havana Times.