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.
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