Friday
Friday 14th March 2025.
March 13, 2025
Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Martínez Acha reiterated Thursday that the Panama Canal remains and will continue to belong to Panamanians, in response to an NBC News report that the White House is considering ordering the U.S. military to develop options to “increase” troop presence in the country as a way to recover the waterway.
“This just happened, let’s analyze it. Let the Panamanian people rest assured. The Canal remains ours and will remain so. Let it be clear, the Canal belongs to the Panamanians and will continue to do so. The Canal is operated by Panamanians, and in the event of a threat, the only one who can call on other nations to defend the Canal’s operation is the President of the Republic,” Martínez Acha declared.
The NBC News report comes amid heightened tensions between the two countries, after U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he wants to regain control of the Panama Canal. Trump alleges that the canal operates under Chinese influence, a claim that both Panama and China vehemently deny.
The Panamanian government has not confirmed whether it has received any official communication from Washington regarding a possible military presence in the country. However, the Panamanian Constitution establishes that the territory is neutral and that no foreign military force may establish permanent bases in the country.
This is the first response from the official in charge of the country’s foreign policy to the issue reported Thursday by the US media outlet. In its report, NBC News also states that the US Southern Command is developing various plans, ranging from closer collaboration with Panamanian security forces to the less likely option of taking the Panama Canal by force. However, the cited officials indicated that the use of force would depend on the level of cooperation between the Panamanian “military” and Washington.
However, there is no army in the country.
On the subject, former Minister of Public Security Juan Pino made it clear that this initiative (US troops in Panama) is not part of any bilateral agreement nor is it included in Panama’s strategic planning. “The US military presence in Panama is not part of our strategic planning. It isn’t there, neither legally nor informally, nor anything, nothing, nothing of the sort,” he stated.
The former minister believes this action would represent a setback of more than 50 years in relations between the two countries, which have been strengthened through mutual respect and historic agreements such as the Torrijos-Carter Treaties. “ It would be disrespectful to the Panamanians. We’re going back to the 1960s . Now, in a two-for-three situation, a man, not the country, with an undemocratic character, says he wants to take over the Panama Canal and talks about a military presence,” Pino said.
Pino, who headed the Security portfolio during Laurentino Cortizo’s administration (2019-2024), is appealing to diplomacy to address the crisis and urging Panamanian authorities to strengthen their strategic alliances and seek international support.
“We must speak clearly to the international community about what is happening to us, what we have achieved, and what we stand to lose in one fell swoop. This is about respect for our country,” he emphasized.
Orlando Pérez , a political scientist and expert on the relationship between Panama and the United States, also reacted to the news.
“ This “US official” apparently does not know that Panama has no army! If canal operations are not disrupted, the deployment of large numbers of US troops near the Canal could be construed as a violation of the Neutrality Treaty, much less an infringement of the Panamanian Constitution and laws, ” he argued in X.
According to NBC News, sources also told them that the commander of the U.S. Southern Command, Admiral Alvin Holsey, presented a draft strategy to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth this week. Hegseth is expected to visit Panama next April.
They add that officials have warned that a U.S. invasion of Panama is unlikely and would only be seriously considered if an increased U.S. military presence in Panama fails to achieve President Donald Trump’s goal of reclaiming the waterway.
Before Congress, Trump tasked Secretary of State Marco Rubio with “recovering” the Panama Canal. Rubio visited the isthmus last February.
The report published by NBC on Thursday, March 13, claiming that the White House has ordered the U.S. military to evaluate options for increasing its presence in Panama, has sparked concern and speculation. However, former U.S. ambassador to the country, John Feeley , has ruled out any indication of an imminent invasion.
Feeley warned that the headline is “more provocative than it should be” and explained that, although there are no US military bases in Panama, both countries have conducted joint exercises with groups of between 50 and 100 troops.
In the context of the recent bilateral migration agreement, an increase in these figures is considered possible, with US troops deployed in support of the National Border Service (Senafront) and Panamanian immigration authorities.
Ruling out a possible invasion, the former diplomat stressed that such an operation would require around 100,000 troops, something that is not in the plans of the United States Southern Command.
Instead, he anticipates an increase in high-profile military exercises, similar to the “right of navigation” maneuvers conducted by the U.S. Navy.
The Colon Free Zone (CFZ) has recovered 107 hectares adjacent to the Enrique Adolfo Jiménez Airport in Coco Solo, which had been leased a year ago, “in a shady manner,” to a private company of which the children of Giovanni Ferrari Francucci are direct beneficiaries .
Ferrari was the general manager of the ZLC when the lease contract was agreed in favor of Concesionaria ONX, SA , a company registered on April 19, 2024, 73 days before the change of government.
This Thursday, March 13, President José Raúl Mulino announced that the lands had been “returned” to the ZLC (Central Zone) and that the possibility of developing a logistics project there for air cargo transportation is now being analyzed. He mentioned that DHL is one of the companies that has expressed interest in this development.
“Do you remember an irregular bidding process there for 107 hectares of land adjacent to France Field Airport, which was highly contested at the time, awarded by the previous administration for a paltry sum of half a cent per square meter? Imagine, an area like that, right next to the ports, right next to the airport, all the development that could happen there,” Mulino said.
“107 hectares of land were granted, in a privileged location, as they say, to another ‘friend of the powerful,’ and that land is worth roughly $100 million. Anyone can buy land like that, at half a cent a meter, and so can I. They should have let me know and I’d have made an offer. But the truth is, it was taken away and has now been returned to the ZLC’s heritage,” he added.
On July 15, the Presidency of the Republic announced the beginning of an investigation into a “possible case of corruption” in the lease contract of Concesionaria ONX, SA
Following the approval of the reforms to the Social Security Fund (CSS), the next issue the government will address will be the future of the Donoso copper mine.
This was announced by the President of the Republic, José Raúl Mulino , who announced that the talks will begin next week.
The president acknowledged that this is a broad and even “thorny” issue. However, he stated that this matter will be addressed with great “responsibility” and with the protection of national interests in mind.
Mulino also recalled that, following the mine’s closure, there are at least seven arbitration proceedings pending, in which several thousand dollars are being claimed.
It should be remembered that on November 28, 2023, the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) declared Contract Law No. 406 unconstitutional, nullifying the concession granted to Minera Panamá SA, a subsidiary of First Quantum, to operate Cobre Panamá.
President Mulino announced a series of mine-related authorizations this Thursday.
He detailed that he approved the export of copper concentrate, the start-up of the 300-megawatt thermoelectric plant so that exports can be made through the port, and the import of coal, possibly from Medellín, Colombia, for the plant’s operation.
“That’s what has been authorized at this time. The Minister of the Environment has visited the area and is leading a mine maintenance plan,” he said.
For its part, Cobre Panama, in a statement, stated that it welcomed President Mulino’s statements and reiterated its willingness to engage in dialogue.
The Panamanian Mining Chamber has revealed that, in 2024, the cessation of mining activities represented a loss of $888 million in local purchases and $225 million in wages.
Added to this is the $2.514 billion reduction in lost exports, the union highlighted.
At the press conference on March 13, Mulino reiterated that, following the mine’s closure, the country lost the equivalent of 5% of its gross domestic product.
“That 5% of GDP we threw away in a single day, which we thought was a statistic, has led to unemployment, a lack of revenue for the state, and delays in payments to suppliers,” he said.
It was recently reported that the international arbitration between the Panamanian State and First Quantum Minerals , arising from the closure of the Donoso copper mine, has been postponed until February 2026, according to a press release from the Canadian company.
According to First Quantum, Panama reportedly requested the postponement, citing a change in the external legal counsel assisting the government, as well as the need for time for the new Panamanian administration to assess the mine’s situation.
When contacted by La Prensa , the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Julio Moltó, stated: “This information was communicated exclusively by First Quantum Minerals (FQM). The arbitration process is subject to confidentiality, and the Panamanian State respects the directive of the Arbitration Tribunal, so we cannot make any statements regarding this matter.”
Panamanian urban artist Rosalio Mina, better known as Chamaco, died on the afternoon of Thursday, March 13, following a shooting incident that authorities are investigating.
Preliminary reports indicate that the incident occurred in the La Loma area of the Pueblo Nuevo district, and that Chamaco was taken to San Miguel Arcángel Hospital in San Miguelito, where he was pronounced dead.
National Police officers arrived at the scene and cordoned off the area to begin their investigation. At the same time, the Public Prosecutor’s Office also began its respective investigations.
The General Directorate of Revenue (DGI) of the Ministry of Economy and Finance informs citizens that the deadline for submitting the Affidavit of Natural Person Income has been extended. The new deadline will be Monday, March 17, 2025, because March 15, the originally established date, corresponds to a Saturday, which is not considered a business day.